MEN AND MASCULINITY
SWMS 385m/SOCI 386m 34947R
Spring 2015
12:30-1:50 T-Th
THH 214
Joseph R. Hawkins Ph.D.
Office Hrs: By appointment.
Phone: 213 821 2771
Office Location: ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives 909 W. Adams or
AHF B37
E-mail: jrhawkin@usc.edu
GENERAL DESCRIPTION:
The title of this course begs the question: Why a course about masculinity
anyway? After all, there are de facto male biases abound within the academic
community. Indeed, much of the subject matter and theoretical paradigms that
construct the canon of western learning emerged in a time when men controlled
education, and women had scarce access to it. The perhaps ironic answer to
this rhetorical question is women’s studies. In the generations since feminist
examinations of gender began mining the rich social terrains of sex and gender,
they have yielded layers of strata, pattern formation, and ample resources for
social evidence of the ways that societies favor men. These excavations have
also unearthed a series of conflicts within the production and performance of
masculinities that affect men’s lives as well.
The purpose of this course is to examine the social, cultural, and personal
meanings of masculinities and their attending identities. While looking at
masculinities we must explore social class, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, and
age as aspects of male identity construction. Particular scrutiny is paid the costs
of rigid definitions of masculinity, and the price that men’s power and privilege
over women exacts on men themselves.
This course’s goal is to familiarize students with the rich social construct of
masculinity both in the West and within cross-cultural contexts. As a part of our
review, the course will look at the historical antecedents of men’s movements
today.
The course explores a major dimension of human cultural and social
diversity—sex and gender—in the context of a range of historical and institutional
frameworks. Since dominant conceptions of masculinity are constructed in
relation to conceptions of femininity, this course necessarily explores girls' and
women's lives, as they relate to boys' and men's lives. Readings are assigned to
build on the lecture/discussion format. However, the readings will not always be
reviewed in class to leave sufficient time for discussion of the issues covered.
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REQUIRED BOOKS:
Kimmel, Michael S. and Michael Messner eds. Men’s Lives, 9th ed. Allyn and
Bacon, 2001. (ML).
McBee, Thomas Page, Man Alive: a true story of violence, forgiveness and
becoming a man. City Lights Books, 2014. (MA).
Course Reader- All these readings will be on Blackboard (CR).
Please Note: Course Books may be abbreviated here and in your response
papers in the manner following their listing above, ie. ML. Except in your
final Essay.
COURSE OUTLINE AND ASSIGNED READINGS
Week 1
Day 2
First Meeting: Introduction to assigned readings
Introduction: Basic Lecture on Terms and Gender.
(During this week only, you are not required to complete the
readings listed, however, readings listed here are required for
Week 2 Day 1.
Readings for Week 2: Introduction and Part 1, “Perspectives on
Masculinities” Men’s Lives (ML),- CR A Manual of Hygiene: Fathers
and Sons, Ibson, Picturing Men, Chs. 1 and 3.
Begin reading now as discussion begins in week 2.
Week 2
Day 1
Social Contexts
Lecture and Discussion of Readings Listed Above
Discussion of McCaughey, Kivel, Espiritu, Woods and Ramirez and
Flores in Men’s Lives ML.
Carry over from Day 1
Day 2
Week 3
Contemporary Boyhoods
Children and gender
Part 2 for this week in Men’s Lives, “Boyhood.”
Essay 1 Due Tuesday of Week 3
FILM: Tough Guise
Week 4
Day 1
Day 2
Men and Violence
ML Section 11
Cont’ and catch up
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Week 5
Day 1
Day 2
Collegiate Masculinities
Section 3 in Men’s Lives,
Men and Work
Section 4 in Men’s Lives;
Week 6
Engagements with Gender in Popular Culture
Part 10 Men’s Lives; CR Esquire, Oct. 2014
Week 7
Day 1
Men in the Media then and Now
Tea and Sympathy- 1950’s Masculinity and McCarthyism a review
of how we got to where we are…
Tea and Sympathy cont’
Finish the Film and Discussion
Day 2
Week 8
Day 1
Day 2
Week 9
Day 1
Day 2
Intimacy, the Body and the Family
Sex and Intimacy
Men in Families
Part 8 Men’s Lives
Men and Health
Part 5 Men’s Lives
Men in Relationships
Part 6 in Men’s Lives;
Cont’
Spring Break
Week 10
Day 1
Male Sexualities
Trip to ONE Archives
Part 7 Men’s Lives;
Meet at ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives at USC (Address
above). Class will only meet on Tuesday this week as Dr. Hawkins
will be at The Association of Asian Studies Meetings in Chicago
March 25-29.
Week 11
Male Identities and Relationships
Read: McBee, Man Alive, 172 pp.
Week 12
Men and Religion and Rituals of Masculinity
ML Part 9 My Film “Sacred Striptease
Week 13
Men and The Future
ML Part 12, CR Discovery Essay
Week 14
Presentations
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Week 15
Presentations
Weekly Schedule and Reading Assignments
The readings assigned above are required as a supplement to in-class
discussion and lecture and should be completed prior to the first class of each
week. Students are expected to use the texts as tools and to underline, or
otherwise highlight the readings’ theses or key points. Keep current with the
reading assignments! Doing so makes class much more interesting, and makes it
easier to complete the writing assignments in a timely manner.
Notes on Registration and Grades
1. A course grade of “Incomplete” must be arranged with Dr. Hawkins before
the last class.
2. Please advise Dr. Hawkins of any learning disabilities at the beginning of
the semester so that accommodations can be worked out in advance.
3. All deadlines in the Schedule of Classes will be strictly adhered to as will
departmental and University Policies.
Syllabus Changes
Students will be held responsible for any changes in the syllabus that are
announced in class.
Examinations- All testing may cover all texts and lectures associated with this
class. In this instance, “text” refers to films as well.
Students with Disabilities
Any student requesting academic accommodations based on a disability is
required to register with Disability Services and Programs (DSP) each semester.
A letter of verification for approved accommodations can be obtained from DSP.
Please be sure the letter is delivered Dr. Hawkins as early in the semester as
possible. DSP is located in STU 301 and is open 8:30 am - 5:00 pm, Monday
through Friday. The phone number for DSP is (213) 740-0776.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: Please take care—in your exams, paper, and in any
other aspects of this course—to maintain the highest standards of academic
integrity. For your information, please consult The Trojan Integrity Guide at
http://www.usc.edu/student-affairs/SJACS/forms/tio.pdf. The Undergraduate Guide for
Avoiding Plagiarism can be found at http://www.usc.edu/studentaffairs/SJACS/forms/tig.pdf.
GRADING will be based on the following:
1. A Midterm Research Proposal, due in class on March 3rd, worth 25%
of your total grade (described in greater detail at the end of the
syllabus).
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2. A Life History Study, presented both orally and in written form (this
assignment is described in greater detail at the end of the syllabus and
will be discussed in class).
a. Presented Orally in Class WEEKS 14 AND 15 of class (25%
of total grade).
b. In Written Form DUE MAY 5 (25% of total grade).
3. A Final Examination DUE APRIL 30 IN CLASS(Take Home) (25% of
total grade).
IMPORTANT DATES
MARCH 3 PROPOSAL
WEEKS 14-15 PRESENTATIONS
MAY 5TH FINAL PAPER
FINAL TAKE HOME EXAM APRIL 30 (WILL BE AVAILABLE TWO WEEKS
BEFORE).
Grade Scale
93-96%=A
90-93%=A87-89%=B+
83-86%=B
80-82%=B77-79%=C+
73-76%=C
70-72%=C67-69%=D+
63-66%=D
60-62%=D0-59=F
Life History Term Paper Description
“The project that is documented in a life-history story is itself the relation
between the social conditions that determine practice and the future social
world that practice brings into being. That is to say, life-history method
always
concerns the making of social life through time. It is literally
history.”
--R. W. Connell, Masculinities, 1995
“In the beginning of life, when we are infants, we need others to survive,
right?
And at the end of life, when you get like me, you need others to
survive, right?
But here’s the secret; in between, we need others as well.”
--Morrie Schwartz, quoted in Tuesdays with Morrie, 1997
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GENERAL: This is a three-part project for which you are required to (a) turn in
a “midterm research proposal” on March 3; (b) do a 10-15 minute presentation
during the final weeks of class; and (c) turn in a written report to the instructor on
May 1, the final day of class. The midterm research proposal should be typed, 45 pages double-spaced. The paper should be typed, double-spaced, 8-12 pages
in length.
IMPORTANT DATES:
MARCH 3: TURN IN MIDTERM RESEARCH PROPOSAL: A THEORIZED
LIFE HISTORY. This 4-5 page (double-spaced) paper should draw specific
ideas from the course readings thus far to outline the following: (a) the contexts
you find most interesting for framing your interview (e.g., historical contexts,
family contexts, race or class contexts, etc.); (b) the man you intend to interview;
(c) the questions you will ask him. NOTE: Late papers will be assessed a onethird grade reduction per day late (e.g., a one-day late “B” paper would be
lowered to a “B-“).
DURING THE FINAL THREE WEEKS OF CLASS: Deliver an oral presentation
to the class on your life history interview. You may choose to use Powerpoint or
more creative multi-media formats, as desired, in your presentation. The 10-15
minute presentation should illustrate the ways in which the individual you
interviewed has navigated contexts that have both constrained and enabled him.
How has gender shaped his life chances, self-image, and relationships? How
have other factors like race, social class, sexual orientation, immigrant status, or
participation in wars, work, education, sport, and families impacted his life? Give
us a sense of the person and his voice, while also connecting to context.
MAY 5: Turn in the completed paper (hard copy in class). NOTE: Late papers
will be assessed a one-third grade reduction per day late (e.g., a one-day late “B”
paper would be lowered to a “B-“).
THE ASSIGNMENT:
Choose an older man (at least 55 years old, preferably older) and write up his life
history, focusing especially on gender and institutional contexts.
a. Choose a man: The man you choose may be someone you know
(grandfather, uncle, neighbor, friend). Or, he could be someone you seek
out due to your own interest in men in particular contexts (e.g., you might be
interested in military men, athletes, gay men, immigrant men, corporate
managers, poets, newspaper reporters, labor union activists, impoverished or
physically disabled men).
b. Gather information about the man: Conduct a life-history interview. You
should first ask the man’s permission to tape record the interview. Ask him
also if he would mind your using his real name in your paper, or if he would
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prefer your using a pseudonym. In any event, assure him that the report will
be used only for a college course, and will not be published. Start with a list
of general questions that you have prepared in advance, but be open to
allowing him to go on some tangents. These kinds of apparently tangential
stories can be invaluable in revealing what memories are most meaningful
and salient for a person. They can also, though, be terribly time-consuming
and distracting from the themes that you know you want to explore. So try to
strike a balance between letting him tell his stories, and keeping him on track
with your questions. Hint for good life history interviews: If you can get the
man to show you old photos or photo albums, this often serves as a
wonderful entré to memory and story-telling.
c. Focus on gender in institutional contexts. What was important in shaping
his sense of himself as a man? What did it mean for him to be a “man,” and
how might this meaning have shifted for him across different institutional
contexts (e.g., military, prison, families, workplaces, the street, religion,
transitions brought about by immigration, etc.), and over the life course (e.g.,
in childhood, adolescence, early adulthood, fatherhood, middle age, old age)?
How did he react to, involve himself with or oppose historical events big and
small (e.g., wars, economic booms and busts, feminism, the civil rights
movement, gay liberation, etc.), and what impact did these events have on his
sense of himself as a man? How did these institutional and historical
contexts affect the man’s relationships with others (e.g., friends, lovers,
spouse(s), children, grandchildren, etc.)? How did other identity issues (e.g.,
race/ethnicity, immigrant status, sexual orientation, social class, etc.) affect
his experiences and values about himself as a man? How does he view the
lives of boys and young men today? You might want to end your interview by
asking him if, based on his lifetime of collected experiences and wisdom, he
has words of advice for a boy or young man today.
d. Analyze the life history, using ideas from course readings and lectures.
For instance, you might find Ibson’s discussion of historical shifts in men’s
lives and relationships, Descriptions of the shifting meanings and realities of
violence in boys’ lives, or some of the research articles we read from Men’s
Lives might be helpful for thinking about masculinity in institutional contexts.
In your analysis, use at least three readings from the assigned course books,
but don’t make this a paper where you are simply reiterating information from
these sources. Use concepts as background, as ways to think about and ask
questions, and as analytical tools to discuss masculinities.
e. Write up the life history. There are various ways to do this. The most
obvious way would be sequential (start in childhood, and describe the
progression of his life up to the present). But this most obvious mode may
not always be the best way to get at issues of change, continuity, or the
variable salience of gender. Feel free to experiment with different forms of
presentation that help you present a picture of the man (e.g., a non-linear
narrative might be organized thematically, moving back-and-forth through
time, presenting snapshots of different moments in a man’s life, with the goal
of illuminating themes and relationships).
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