Understanding Hegemonic Masculinity and its Contribution

PROJECT- 2 PARTS

Table of Contents
Table of Contents.............................................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Hegemonic Masculinity and its contribution in understanding..................................................3
Masculinity theory......................................................................................................................7
Pros and cons of hegemonic masculinity....................................................................................8
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
Hegemonic masculinity is a concept which states that the males of the society legitimates
and has a dominant position within the society and suppresses the other weaker section and
especially the females. This concept explains the fact that how much the men in the society has
to take measures in order to manage their dominant position within the society. This includes the
dominance of the males over the women and dominance in the role of male in the society and
gender identities within the society. The current essay will outline the concept of hegemonic
masculinity and in addition to this it will also discuss about the understanding of the process of
hegemonic masculinity and of gendering.
MAIN BODY
Hegemonic Masculinity and its contribution in understanding
The Hegemonic masculinity is referred to as a concept or the practice which legitimates
or brings out the dominant position of men within the society (Messerschmidt, 2018). This is the
position within the male dominates the population within the society and they dominates the
women and the weaker section of the society. The concept of Hegemonic masculinity is very
common in the society as the most of the males are very dominating and they try to dominate the
other people lower to them and this demotivates the people within the company who belong to
weaker section of the society. Many of the people and gender activist try to change the mentality
of the males that they must not dominate the other people weaker to them and especially the
female section of the society. These is particularly because of the reason that when the people
within the society and specially the males have the feeling that they are very superior in the
society and the people other than them are very low and have not much knowledge. Also, the
males have the feeling that the females of the society are very weak in comparison to them and
this motivates the people to oppress the females and the weaker section of the society. Also, in
addition to this the society and the conservative thinking of the society people also motivate this
concept of Hegemonic masculinity.
In addition to this the males are more motivated by the thinking that women are less
intelligent and capable of doing the work as compared to the other people and especially the
males of the society. Thus, this Hegemonic masculinity develops a feeling of inferiority among
the females that they are less competent as compared to the males. Thus this demotivates and

discourages the females within the society and the other weaker section of the society and they
do not perform in accordance with their actual potential and this affects the working efficiency of
the females and the other weaker section of the society. Along with this, the gender based system
in the corporate world demotivates the people who are having fewer capabilities in them as their
confidence is very low and this will have a great impact over the working capacity and the level
of confidence of the weaker section and the women for special (Hunter, Riggs and Augoustinos,
2017).
With respect to the sociological concept the nature of hegemonic masculinity is deemed
to be derived from the theory of cultural hegemony which was developed by Antonio Gramsci
which majorly analyses the fact that power relation which is present in the different social
classes of the society. Out of all these the masculinity is the one which majorly focuses on the
males being dominant within the society and suppressing the other classes within the society. It
is agreed both socially and the in hierarchical manner that the males are always dominating the
society and even in the house and the workplace as well. Various different social groups also
claim that the males are much stronger and are having more capabilities as compared to the
females and other section of the society. Thus, this more motivates the males to feel that they are
more superior within the society and this will boost their morale and will try to dominate other
people and especially the females.
The hegemonic masculinity is a type of masculinity which is of stereotypic way and this
shapes the whole society to believe the fact that males are superior and they have to follow what
the males are telling. This concept was proposed by Connell and he proposed that this hegemonic
masculinity is the study of social inequality as this concept states that males are superior to the
female and the female have to listen to the males whether be at the workplace or within the
personal life (Javaid, 2017). Under this masculinity there is mentality of the people that males
will be always dominating to the females and they are having more of the knowledge and are
more competent as compared to the females and other weaker sections of the society. In its
original form the term was seen as the pattern and the practice with help of which the people and
especially the males were dominating the society.