Kats and Kivel Essay

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Guise" by Jackson Katz identifies violence and crime occurring predominantly at the hand of men. He gives statistics and percentages including rape and stalking as well as the 61 out 62 mass shooting conducted mainly by men. At first, he identifies in sections what could cause men to behave in such a violent way. He mentions the culture of violence in the United States and explains there are two sides of this culture, the side that craves violence and the side that becomes horribly offended by it. Both sides remain inherent in most of the people in the country and it carries out to the men.

Fathers teach their sons to accept the traditional idea of manhood. What it means to be a man is to show little emotion and when a man reaches a breaking point, show that in anger and violence. This tough guy attitude to show no feelings is all part of the boy code and has become deeply embedded into most cultures. This idea of manhood especially rings true for men of color. Although white males represent many instances of crime in America, they are not often portrayed in such a negative light. They remain invisible. However, men of color, the minority, are represented in a negative light. When the stress of being discriminated reaches a head, a man of color will accept these concepts of manhood in order to show he is a real man.

Stress also appears to promote violence in all men. Some blame feminists, but really, what causes the violence in men is the disrespect they often feel and inadequacy from feeling, as though they are not regarded as a real man. The violent act makes them feel as though they can finally be seen as men.

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My reaction can be summed up in one word, enlightened. I did not realize that men felt so strongly about being disrespected and feeling like they have to adhere so strongly to such a narrow mold. The concepts like racially motivated hyper-masculinity would be something I want to see Katz explore further. I feel the film in general changed my way of thinking in relation to the male image. I thought big muscles were important and showed strength, but in reality, strength can come from resilience, perseverance, kindness, and a willingness to grow and explore.

Men do not have to be giant and muscled to be a real man. The American culture among other cultures must diminish the level of violence shown in the media and in movies and films. I also believe strongly in immersing boys into what would be deemed classic feminine activities like dancing, childcare, and animal husbandry to grow empathy.

Paul Kivel's article "The 'Act like a Man' Box" has similarities to Katz film in the sense that is attempts to analyze how men view what it is to be a man. For instance, Kivel explains that men feel they have….....

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