Semester’s Learning on Men & Masculinities

Imagine you are home sitting around with your family before dinner and one of your friends or family members asks you, “So, how is your semester going? Tell me about what you’re learning in your classes.”
As you proceed to rifle off each of the classes you are taking this semester, they stop you after you tell them you’re taking a class on ‘Men & Masculinities.’
“Wait, what? You’re taking a class about men and masculinities, what the heck do you learn about in that class?”
In no more than 1000 words, explain to your family or friends what you have learned so far about men and masculinities in this class. At a minimum, your response should explain the
importance of:
• Always remembering the relationship between social structures and individual agency and how it helps explain men’s actions
• the concept of Hegemonic Masculinity
• examining men’s actions and performances of masculinities in their specificity and not treating men and masculinity in a monolithic manner
• the differences between essentialist, spectrum, and performativist understandings of masculinity
Better papers will clearly demonstrate in your own words what you’ve learned from the ideas and concepts introduced in lectures and the assigned readings. Only use quotes from readings if you explain the relevance of the quote to a broader point you are attempting to make. Always use citations anytime you draw on someone else’s ideas (whether you are quoting or simply paraphrasing their writings, including if you cite class lectures).
Keep in mind that your ultimate goal with this midterm exam is to present the information you’ve learned in class to your friends/family in a way they can digest and hopefully understand it. Thus, your writing should always make sure to explain key ideas and concepts when you use them. Finally, while better papers must address all of the concepts listed above, you don’t have to do so in the order they are listed.
Don’t hesitate to reach out with questions. I won’t read and comment on whole drafts of papers, but I would be happy to discuss specific issues or questions you might have