Masculine, Feminine, or Human?

Question

This a very interesting article by Robert Jensen. I recommend to read it.

http://adonismirror.com/06182008_jensen_humanity.htm

It raises the question of positive and negative definitions about what is to be a man from a a male perspective. The author points out that:

"The list of traits that we claim to associate with being a man — the things we would feel comfortable telling a child to strive for — are in fact not distinctive characteristics of men but traits of human beings that we value, what we want all people to be. The list of understandings of masculinity that men routinely impose on each other is quite different. Here, being a man means not being a woman or g*y, seeing relationships as fundamentally a contest for control, and viewing s*x as the acquisition of pleasure from a woman".

Which are your thoughts in this article?

Answer 1

The article is very interesting, and I agree with it.  I couldn't help thinking about my mother's favorite poem, "If" by Rudyard Kipling.  The poem goes through many hardships of life, "If you can..."

I have done all of those things - seen hardship and overcome it...

At the end it says,  If you can....you'll be a man, my son."

I can't help laughing at the fact that accd. to Rudyard Kipling, I am am man.

My mother had us read the poem as children, and never said, this doesn't apply to you....you are a woman and you can fall down helpless and wait for a man to take care of you.  No, she let us know that it also applied to us, my sister and I.

Answer 2

I completely agree with him. "Masculine" and "feminine" have lost all meaning in our society today now that we're sharing our spheres; we should just drop them from the lexicon entirely.

Answer 3

Fantastic article.  Thank you for posting it.  I've believed for years that masculinity has never been clearly defined but always assumed.  It seems as though we are still holding on to ancient accepted views as to what is defined as acceptably masculine.  I personally view postive masculinity as anything that creates or supports rather than destroys or oppresses.  Cooperation rather than dominance is a true sign of being an evolved male.  One can lead ( male or female) without stepping all over every thing and everybody.  So yes the positive aspects of feminity and masculinity are  unisex in nature.

Answer 4

Yes, I noticed when someone (maybe Rose?) asked a question yesterday about what is masculinity, most of the answers from men were lists of characteristics humans should have...not merely men. So we're STILL without a workable definition of masculinity.

Answer 5

It's always annoyed me when people list positive traits they associate with masculinity, because whether or not they intend it, it automatically implies that women DON'T have these traits.  I'm not going to deny that there are a great deal of men who are strong, responsible, loving, courageous, etc., but it's foolish to associate these traits with masculinity because there are tons of women who are also strong, responsible, loving, courageous, etc., and I seriously doubt that men are any MORE likely to exhibit these characteristics than women are.  

It would be like if we associated intelligence and creativity with women...would that really be fair, given that there are probably just as many men who are intelligent and creative?  No, of course not.  

So, in short, I agree with this article, and I think people should be more careful when they lists traits that embody a "real man" or a "real woman"...because more than likely, they're just listing traits of a good person.

Answer 6

It largely depends on our preconceptions, doesn't it. Concepts of self and concepts of others.

Some men think of themselves as God's Gift. Some women think of themselves as the Cat's Whiskers.