Reaction to Waller Nudell Lecture

Nudell's lecture about the origins and modern-day role of masculinity was very thought-provoking and interesting. During his discussion I was reminded of an article ("Would World Affairs be More Peaceful if Women Dominated Politics?") that I read for another class by historian Mary Caprioli that debated the implications of women in positions of power. Caprioli and Nudell followed the same basic line of argument; that although men have traditionally behaved in aggressive manners (such as declaring war) and shown a propensity to violence, this fact is not enough to form a sweeping generalization about men in general. I believe that Nudell was trying to base the somewhat recent move towards "machismo" in a greater societal movement towards embracing, rather than rejecting, excessive aggression. He cited a number of sources, including movies like "Fight Club" as highlighting this increasing polarization between the old (and considerably more chivalrous) gentleman of ancient texts and the aggressive and prideful man that he sees today.

Where I think Nudell failed, however, was in providing a reasoning for this shift. Women have truly begun to challenge the solidarity of the male role (particularly in the last century) in the household and as the lone provider of income. As women increasingly challenge the necessity of the male role and themselves gain more power, the need for masculinity will subsequently decrease. It is a zero-sum game, as I see it, and as women increasingly adopt "traditional" masculine roles, men will see the need to push back against this affront to the established norms in gender relations.