School is an institution to educate children and the way to interact with other people. School is where the knowledge of the children comes from and to learn the basis of our world. Children starts to have fights with others that became a problem and since then, it is still happening. As what in masculinities studies, it has similarities of situations like the children, parents and institutions.
Firstly, violence is everywhere that also happens in school that most of the students are getting into fights between boys and girls, and girls are experiencing sexual assaults by male students. To correlate it to what I have learned in class is that boys are into fights and that it’s okay for them to be involved because it’s said that violence will make them a man or to have sex with the opposite sex. As well, they should not show their emotions as what the masculinities studies have revealed, however that is the society wants them to perceive themselves. In reality, boys have the rights to show their true emotions even though, it is not manly enough because they should decide themselves, not other’s opinion or by their judgement. Violence is not the answer to be a man but being respectful to other people is a great personality to have within ourselves, so that people will respect us back.
Secondly, parents doesn’t know anything about what’s happening in their children’s school and it’s just the fact that they don’t really ask. That’s why, it’s a problem in masculinity too. They would not know the true feelings or emotions of their sons and their true identity. Parents might try to make their sons fit into society’s ideal of a man, but they don’t know that it makes their children feel distant from them. As results, children do not open up to their parents that much, from the teachers or counselors too as they’re having hard time to show their true selves. Good thing that there are some people who wants to reveal the problem just like the media. As for the masculinity, there are a community called LGBTQ who fights for the rights of being free, free from being a man and to be different and be accepted to the society.
Thirdly, school boards don’t talk anything about violence. They tried to avoid it because they think that it can ruin their reputations, just like the principals. They take actions, but it’s not enough to give justice to the victims. Victims are still scared because the attackers can still do it again. School boards are keeping it secrets and hiding to everyone. They think giving suspensions to the attackers can solved the problem but it’s not enough. Just like gendered institutions, they show that institutions are gendered equality. That male and female are equal. In reality, it’s far from equal. They made us believe of something that it’s easy for them to handle or to hide. Just like the gender identity and the salaries of the opposite sex. Men have higher salary and have better opportunity of jobs rather than women who are socially inferior in jobs just because of the physical strength. Therefore, they want us to turn a blind eye to it.
To conclude, there is always a problem and that the problem of masculinity is still present until now. But seeing the violence in masculinity or in school either way, it is still not far from each other. The experience of the two is uncanny. Violence is everywhere that is hard to prevent it. Stand what is right and fight it. Accept our true self and have courage to flaunt it to the world. Having self confidence is the key to acceptance.
Lovers and Fighters | Section 22 