6 page research paper in 3 hours due
MLA please
What major factors contribute to both boys feeling pressured to fit into specific gender roles, appearances, and characteristics? What are the major impacts of these pressures? Give specific examples from the text, outside research, observations, and experiences. For example, think about the difficulties that boys face in the materials from Part 1 of our class materials related specifically to gender pressures.
English 101
Essay #5: Gender Myths
Title
Why do American boys feel pressured to become a “man” as they grow up? Many men in the United States think being a man means they have to be tough, physically strong, aggressive, athletic, attractive, dominant, a provider, and most importantly, they have to suppress their emotions. Because once they show any emotions other than anger and happiness, other guys will start to perceive them as weak, gay, feminine, and unmanly. This version of manhood has been passed down generation by generation to young boys. America has created a culture of toxic masculinity, where men are pressured to live up to unhealthy ideals of a “real man” and shamed for expressing their emotions openly.
American children get exposed to gender stereotypes from a very young age. It begins from the types of toys that guardians give and allow their sons to play with. In the article “Why It’s Imperative to Teach Empathy to Boys,” Gayle Allen and Deborah Farmer Kris discuss how toy stores have color-coded aisles; pink aisle for girls and blue aisle for boys. They pointed out that parents “shouldn’t bother looking for LEGOS, blocks, and trucks in the pink aisle, and they certainly won’t find baby dolls in the blue aisle” (par. 1). Because of the way toys are marketed, many parents unconsciously buy gender specific toys and put them in front of their sons. Then, boys will start picking up gender cues and become aware of the pink toys they think they should not be playing with. And once boys enter kindergarten, at the age of five, they fall for peer pressure because peer acceptance is now important. In “My Son Loves My Little Pony,” Sean Williams states how her 7 year old son, Barnaby, loves watching the show, My Little Pony. She then explains about the Rainbow Dash sweatshirt, a Christmas gift from her, that Barnaby loves wearing at their home. She suggests that he wear it at school, but Barnaby states “I think it will make the other kids uncomfortable” (par. 1). Young boys are already put in a man box and feel the pressure to meet the expectations of manhood. Nurture and peer influence play a crucial role in American boys feeling pressured to fit within their gender. As a result of the pressure, boys feel rejected and isolated. And because of the neglect on emotional health of men, the rates of suicide, eating disorders, and mass shootings increases in the United States.