A Changing Definition of Manliness

Waller Newell presented a great look into many historical contexts of what being a 'man' truly means and has come to mean as societal values and expectations change. I thought one of his most interesting points was the relationship between the genders since there are no contexts where the two genders do not interact and influence the each other. The differences and similarities have been the topic of much debate throughout history and it continues to be, especially in relation to feminist issues but also increasingly the study of males. An asian art history professor remarked that in asian culture it is impossible to consider that the two genders could be separated because asian culture is so family centered. I think that this represents a microcosm of the rest of the world where, although societies are not as extreme, males and females are inexplicably linked.

Newell also discussed the changing status of what manliness means. Classically it represents chivalry and courage but modernity had changed this view towards aggression; currently however, there has been a shift back towards chivalry. One of the most interesting things is why the pressure has changed. Obviously it is related to how the roles of men and women are viewed in relation to one another but how much of it can be attributed to innate senses and societal pressure. It is extremely interesting to consider how different men and women really are especially since their roles in society are converging due to uniform rights.