New Male Roles

Submitted By YvetteKieu1
Words: 572
Pages: 3

I. New Male Roles * Men’s reactions to the women’s movement in the 1970’s and the governments responses * Roberty Bly’s book Iron John and the succeeding burgeoning Male Studies * Talks about the psychological mindset guys should have and who they should be * Don’t exert physical strength, but be aware of who you are inside * The discourse on new masculinities * 1880’s till now – transition of men’s role * Men are head of household, decision maker, and the supporter of the family – security of male identity. He is not questioned. * BIG CHANGE - First feminist movement starts to change roles * First world war in 1930’s and definitely huge in the 1960’s-70’s * Women are now secure in the work market, so they have economic independence and can support their child * They have contraceptives, so they can choose how many kids to have * These women want men that are emotional. Before this, women just married for economic security. That’s why they got married earlier. * Men’s masculinity is questioned – they don’t know how to act * The velour man: huggable nice guy.

II. Masculinity * Lennart Hoa Hoa Dahlgren as a symbol of the new male role in the 1970s III. Iron John: A Book about Men, 1990 * Based on a Brothers Grimm fairy tale * Robert Bly has written a psychological analysis of the story * Individuation process of the male child; development from children to maturity * Finding the wild man * Symbols – both men and women who lose this ball and spend our entire lives finding it IV. Masculinity early 2000 * Movement against masculinity as a caricature * Men has always been wrong * Fear of falling – why do men have to prove themselves to each other more than to women? * Lack of emotional background * Fear of showing vulnerability * Fear of not being successful * The male and his friends * Seinfeldt, Friends * Only 20% of Swedish men have a close friend V. Film * Feminine and masculine roles reversed * Man who works at a warehouse driving a truck because he wants to spend time with his child to cook * He starts to redefine himself in order to get his child and wife back * He sees himself as a warrior