On page 3 of “Masculinity” by Michael Kimmel, he explains and expresses that “Institutions accomplish the creation of gender difference and the reproduction of gender order through several gendered processes” (Kimmel 3). This is the idea that institutions (and their employers) such as schools or the workplace have automatic biases and expectations based on someone’s gender such as how men are better doctors because they don’t have to worry about pregnancy and can devote more time to there medical studies compared to the female doctors (Kimmel 3). These biases and assumptions towards the different genders go on to create inequality between them by separating and comparing them to each other. In the 4th episode of “Man Enough” one of the girls who came forth to share their story with us was a girl who had been employed at a wall street bank trying to make a career for herself but ended up quitting after her boss kept pushing the idea of engaging in a relationship with him would be “in her best interest” if she truly wanted a career at that workplace which I think from Kummels point of view only happened in the first place because of these gender imbalances in most institutions.
Kimmel writes on page 4 that “Understanding how we do masculinities… opens up the unimaginable possibilities for social change” (Kimmel 4). What Kimmel means by “masculinities” and why he pluralizes it is because of how many different views there are of what it means to be masculine all across the globe. I believe this was Kimmel’s attempt to open the doors of masculinity and show that no matter what kind of man you are you should be accepted. The men talking in the fourth episode of “Man Enough” demonstrated and showed us all how just by having a deep conversation about feelings and emotions with each other which the “ideal man” shouldn’t typically do opened up so many different possibilities and understandings for all of them as well as the comfort in knowing they aren’t alone.
Lovers and Fighters | Section 22 