QUESTION 1 

Reading “Masculinity” by Kimmel was like reading informations I unconsciously knew about. Me, myself going to job interviews or socializing with the opposite sex, I tend to act a certain way and maybe sometimes change my look to please them and get accepted. Therefore, when Kimmel said, “Institutions accomplish the creation of gender difference and the reproduction of gender order through several gendered processes”, I think he is saying that institutions, especially any workplaces, shape our characteristics as individuals. As a result, gender differences and gender order are created. Like the paragraph suggested, if you ask a man in a frat party what’s masculinity and if you ask him again in an interview what’s masculinity, he will definitely say a different answer. Putting this into relation with the episode 4 of “Man Enough”, they themselves admitted that society/institutions shape their view and character as a man. They’ve all hidden their emotions, forced to put on a masked, not break the bro code, and “removed” their feminine side. Even Lewis Howes, when he was a football player, he was seen doing “gay” things like hugging guys. Hugging guys now was something that he needed to stop doing to be accepted in the institution of football he said. Therefore, with what he had said, we can see how football shaped his character. 

QUESTION 2

Kimmel uses masculinities rather than masculinity because there is no one definition. It is a subjective perspective. Therefore, what an Asian man think is masculine versus what a Canadian man think is masculine is totally different because their culture, experiences, feelings, values, etc are what defines their masculinity. That is why it is more accurate to say masculinities. Moreover, having the knowledge of how institutions form how we interpret masculinities will enable our society to reduce inequality and order. Like the text wrote, most career pathways are designed for men. So, relating this to the film, the actors said that if they knew better for example, breaking the bro code doesn’t disqualify you a man, maybe some assaults they have seen or abuse might have been stopped. Therefore, if all these informal social norms given to men and women are gone and if institutions were equal, maybe our society’s way of thinking and living will change for the better ❤