Writing Homework Help

Find this media (Tough guise 2: violence, manhood) on the internet

At its core, Tough Guise 2 argues that men’s violence is overwhelmingly a gendered phenomenon. And it suggests that any attempt to understand violence therefore requires critically examining our cultural codes and ideals of manhood.

The following points are central to the film’s main line of argument:

Masculinity is made, not a given;

Media are the primary narrative and pedagogical forces of our time;

Media images of manhood therefore play a pivotal role in making, shaping and privileging certain cultural and personal attitudes about manhood;

A critical examination of privileged media images of manhood reveals a widespread and disturbing equation of masculinity with pathological control and violence;

Looking critically at constructed ideals of manhood – at how, why and in whose interests these ideals are constructed in different historical, social, and cultural contexts – denaturalizes and diminishes the potential of these imagined ideals to shape perceptions of ourselves, our world, and each other.

Key Points from Tough Guise 2

When we talk about violence in America, whether it’s mass shootings in the real world or sensationalized violence in our movies and video games, we’re almost always talking about violent masculinity.

The statistics tell the story: the overwhelming majority of violence – sexual assault, mass shootings, murder, and domestic violence resulting in physical injury – is committed by men and boys.

But even though men and boys commit the vast majority of violence in America, gender is rarely a part of mainstream discussions about violence.

Questions for Reaction Paper

1. Why do you think it is that men and boys commit such an overwhelming percentage of violence in America?

2. Does Katz’s observation that men and boys are responsible for the vast majority of violence in America imply that most men and boys are violent? Why or why not? Explain.

3. What’s the difference between Katz saying that violence is about violent masculinity rather than about violent males? Explain.