Sociological Implications of the Film

Sociological Implications of the Film

The film The Mask You Live In explores how men and boys struggle to dominate society as they convey America’s constricted description of masculinity. To avoid representing femininity, boys have to suppress their emotions to look masculine. In American culture, boys are supposed to be unemotional and robust; those who express emotions are considered weak and vulnerable in society. Men feel desperate, having nowhere to turn to if they wish to talk about issues affecting them due to lack of communication. Girls, on the other hand, are encouraged to talk about their emotions and feelings. Boys are expected to engage themselves in sports activities, unlike girls, which limits their abilities to participate in other activities like arts. Race, masculine stereotypes and gender socialization have negative sociological implications on both male and female genders.

As a male gender, I have been conditioned to be hyper-masculine, dominant, and athletic. This is primarily to remove any sense of femininity from my personality. Boys are not allowed to show emotions or cry in public since it is considered as a sign of weakness. Therefore, mothers are not expected to treat their sons as they do to their daughters. Females are only allowed to participate in art activities since they are considered to be less masculine. However, stereotypes of masculinity limit both men and boys not only emotionally, but also socially. It perpetuates homophobia and sexism in society. There are many cases of violence and sexual assaults on college campuses resulting from stereotyping masculinity. The pressure on men and boys to ignore feelings and femininity is harmful to them. Consequently, they resort to alcohol and drugs, which deteriorate their health.

Boys are socialized to fear weakness. In the film, it is explicit how boys are not allowed to cry since it is assumed to be a sign of weakness {00:15:26}. They are not expected to express their emotions but rather hold them back. However, this is something that needs to be changed in society. Crying is a way of expressing emotions and feelings and not a sign of weakness. Boys should not be condemned when they cry or express their emotions to enable them to demonstrate their thoughts and feelings. Moreover, men are not supposed to be dependent or weak as boys who were brought to school by their mothers would be laughed off..

Women were degraded by men to show superiority over them. The more number of females a man had sex with, the more masculine he was considered to be {00:21:46}. According to the film, boys could boast of having raw sex with many women to prove their masculinity {00:30:45}. Ideally, this tends to show the level of harmful masculinity among men and boys. Consequently, a significant number of men are compelled to engage in rape cases.

There is a need to educate girls and boys to promote gender equality and respectful relationships among them. It is critical to address norms and values surrounding gender equality at an early stage of life. In so doing, it will enable boys to respect girls and protect them from violence. The idea that power is the ultimate goal for men needs to be changed since it promotes gender inequality and, more importantly, harmful masculinity in society. Besides, women should be given equal opportunities as men. Nobody should be considered superior over the other to eliminate gender disparities. Everyone in the community, irrespective of gender, needs to have equal opportunity to participate in any activity and explore their interests without discrimination. As consumers, we have the power to use social media to influence gender equality by educating people on the dangers of gender inequality. Masculinity and femininity should not be viewed as a way of suppressing one gender, but as a way to promote peaceful coexistence among boys and girls in society. Education and sensitization of young people on the importance of gender equality enable them to recover from the violations of rights.

Furthermore, men need to be honest about their desires, needs, and feelings to promote healthy masculinity. They need to participate in the process of self-commitment and growth to enhance change in society. Women, on the other hand, should men and offer both physical and emotional support to create strong and healthy relationships between boys and girls. Besides, boys should be allowed to communicate about their worries without discrimination. Men should be encouraged to demonstrate service, nurturing, and caring behavior toward themselves and others. They need to express a wide range of emotions and respect each other to promote a healthy masculinity.

Work Cited

Kanopy, polk.kanopystreaming.com/video/mask-you-live.