Sociology 363: Sociology of Men and Masculinity
"The central problem of every society is to define appropriate roles for the men." -- Margaret Mead
Course
Description: |
A
conscious evaluation and critical analysis of: the social and personal
meanings of "masculinity;" problems and conflicts associated with
creating and negotiating male identities; variations in male experience by
social class, race/ethnicity, age and sexual orientation; 3 semester hours. |
Pre-requisites: |
SOC101,
SOC301, WST100, or WST300 |
Required
Books: |
Michael
Kimmel and Michael Messner: Men's Lives (5th edition,
2000) |
Course
Requirements: |
|
Grading: |
Each
exam=10%; Each paper & book report=15%; Attendance/participation=10% |
Exams: |
The
three non-cumulative tests will cover assigned readings and material
presented in class. Check class web page for guides to assigned reading. |
Make-up
Exams: |
Students
who miss exams will be accommodated if they bring to the instructor's office
hours a physician's note describing their medical inability to take the exam
on its scheduled day and time. |
Papers: |
A
different paper topic is assigned for each week's main topic. You may turn in
more than three papers and will receive only the three best grades. Write the
papers as short essays with an opening topic sentence, logical arguments
backed by evidence, and a clear conclusion. Draw on concepts and theories
from the week's assigned reading. Edit for spelling and grammar errors. For
technical writing problems, consult experts at the Writing Center (LL302). |
Book
Reports: |
The
syllabus lists recommended books with more detailed examinations of each week's
main topics. If you want to report on other books than those listed, submit a
request in writing and get the instructor's approval (give author, title,
publisher, year; briefly explain the sociological
relevance of the book to a particular week's class topics). Reports should
discuss the book's main contributions toward studies of men and masculinity,
and the way that the book's themes relate to the major topics in assigned
class readings. Book reports have the same deadlines as the papers
for the week they are listed. We'll have a sign-up in advance
for these reports. |
Withdrawals: |
The
deadline for an unrestricted withdrawal from the class is February 9th. The
restricted withdrawal deadline is March 30th. |
Attendance:
|
Attendance
will be taken at each class session. |
Participation: |
Your
participation is vital and multi-faceted, including:
|
Class
Web Page: |
Bookmark
the course web-page at http://www.public.asu.edu/~atssk for
supplemental information about Internet links, additional readings, study
guides for exams and assigned readings, the course syllabus and other class
information. |
Accommodations: |
If
you need disability accommodations, or will miss a test or a due date because
of a religious holiday, see or call the instructor in the first two weeks of
the semester during office hours. This information is confidential. |
Academic
Tolerance: |
Universities
exist to safeguard ideas, consider the merits of diverse perspectives, and
explore the views of others as fully as our own. Disagreements with the instructor
and other students are welcome, but must be expressed respectfully. |
Academic
Integrity: |
Cheating
on exams or assignments is a serious offense, with penalties that may include
a course grade of E, or university expulsion. |
Course Schedule of Topics, Reading Assignments, and Paper Topics
Date |
Topics
&[Chapters in Men's Lives] |
Paper
Topics: |
Book
Report Options: |
1/16,
1/18 |
Why
study masculinity? [Introduction, CH 1, 5,12] |
Use
the concepts in Michael Kaufman's article (Chapter 1) to analyze the sources
and consequences of men's violence as portrayed in one of the following
movies: Affliction, Stand By Me, Raging Bull, Fight
Club. Due on January 30. |
|
1/23,
1/25 |
Theoretical
perspectives on masculinity [CH 2,3,4,6,25] |
Option
I: Are there distinctive forms of Latino, Asian, or African-American
masculinity that differ from "white" masculinity, or are these just
stereotypes? Construct your essay using concepts from the assigned readings.
Due on February 6. Option II: What is the relationship between masculinity and colonialism as portrayed in the film The Mission(Jeremy Irons, Robert DeNiro)? Due on February 6. |
|
1/30,
2/1 |
Socialization:
Boys will be...? [CH 7, 9, 10, 12, 13] |
As
in those described by the readings in elementary schools, what are the
"gender transgression zones" in college environments? Do you agree
that their function is to reinforce systems of patriarchy? Due February 13. |
|
2/6,
2/8 |
Initiation
into manhood [CH 14, 15] |
Competitive
sports, the military, and fraternities have been analyzed as initiation rites
for men. In what other ways, perhaps less structured, does the initiation of
adolescents into "manhood" take place in contemporary U.S. culture?
To find out, ask five men between 25 and 35 about the specific experiences
that were most important in their initiation process, and press them to go
beyond sports, war and frats. Report findings and conclusions. Due February
20. |
|
2/13,
2/15 |
Masculinity
& sports [CH 8, 17] Test #1 on 2/15 |
Open
topic. Develop a topic of your choice that addresses connections between
sports and masculinity. Search the "Sport Discuss" database
(accessed through the "Indexes" option of the ASU Library web site
[www.asu.edu/lib]) and attach a
bibliography of the articles and books you consulted. Due February 27 |
|
2/20,
2/22 |
Male
friendships [CH 33, 34, 49] |
Option
I: Describe the key ways that white heterosexual mens' friendships tend to
differ from those of women, and from those of gay men. Due March 6. Option II: Examine the tensions and sources of strength within friendships among gay men as portrayed in either the film Longtime Companion or Peter's Friends. Due March 6. |
|
2/27,
3/1 |
Workplace
identities for men [CH 19, 20, 21, 23] |
Option
I: Conduct library research on the status of men in a traditionally female
occupation (nurse, school teacher, child care worker, librarian).
Discuss why men choose this job, and whether they feel--and actually
are--disadvantaged in doing "women's work." Consult Christine L.
Williams' Still a man's world: men who do "women's work."
Due March 20. Option II: Extend the concepts from Jennifer Pierce's article to analyze the dynamics among the coworkers portrayed in the film Glengary Glen Ross. Due March 20. |
|
3/6,
3/8 |
Men
and their bodies [CH 24, 26, 27, 28, 48] |
Option
I: Analyze the new societal difficulties and challenges to their male
identities faced by the disabled men in one of the following films: Born
on the Fourth of July, Coming Home, Waterdance.
Due March 27. Option II: What are the strongest arguments for and against the view that gender identity and gender development are biologically determined? Due March 27. |
|
3/20,
3/22 |
Men
with women: intimacy & power [CH 31, 32, 39] |
Interview
separately both members of a female-male couple who have been together at
least a year about their relationship. To what degree do they each perceive
what Rubin describes as an "approach-avoidance" dance, and an
intellectual-emotional split? What is the role of these dynamics in their
relationship? How does each partner deal with these issues? Due April 3. |
|
3/27,
3/29 |
Sexual
violence and pornography [CH 16, 18, 22, 35] Test #2 on 3/29 |
Attend
a campus or a community workshop/program on men's violence toward women
(domestic violence, sexual assault prevention, etc.). How has it changed your
perceptions of the scope, sources, and solutions to these problems? Due April
10. |
|
4/3,
4/5 |
Male
sexualities [CH 30, 36, 37, 38, 40, 47] |
Analyze
the content of "personal ads" in a newspaper or newsweekly (e.g.
New Times) by contrasting how men and women describe both themselves and
their desired mates in the "Women Looking for Men" and "Men
Looking for Women" sections (at least 25 of each type of ad). Sort the
descriptors into categories, summarize in a table, and analyze how the gender
differences reflect socially constructed sexual identities. Due April 12. |
|
4/10,
4/12 |
Male
homo-sexualities [CH 11, 29, 41, 42, 50] |
In
what ways and to what degree do gay men from racial and ethnic minorities
face different challenges in formulating a male identity than majority gay
men in the U.S.? Due April 19. |
|
4/17,
4/19 |
Family
men [CH 43, 44, 45, 46] |
Option
I: Based on the concepts and insights from this week's readings,
write a letter to your current or future or imaginary son with your
definition of successful fathering and your advice on how to achieve it. Due
April 24. Option II: Conduct library research on how conceptions of fatherhood have changed over time and how they are linked to ideas about masculinity and gender roles. Due April 24. |
|
4/24,
4/26 |
Men's
movements [CH 51, 52, 53, 54] |
Book
reports for this week's books are due on May 1. |
|
5/1 |
Catch
up day |
||
5/8 |
Final
Exam |
May
8 , from 2:40-4:30 |