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Post #7

Gender being constructed is something that has been deemed by society. There are certain things that are associated with each but we are in a time where gender is fluid. People are able to identify the way they want and the constructs in society are becoming less specific. An example of this would be men being the breadwinners of their household while the wives stay home. This is not as relevant now but in the same case, the man would make more money than the women in a household. Considering the household consists of a man and woman.

To answer Nochlin’s question, I do not think there has been an absence of great women artists but the lack of proper recognition for them. I believe that this question is still relevant today. A man and woman could be doing the same things but the man could be praised when the woman gets little to none while her work could actually be better.

I think that the work to combat toxic masculinity is left to women or queer people because they are a part of the groups that are seeking to be equally viewed in society. I do not think that this should be the case but that is just what I think. The responsibilities of men is to recognize this and adjust to ensure they can be comfortable with all types of expression while being equal. To relinquish power there needs to be recognition of the different levels and a plan to ensure that everyone gets equal opportunity without putting down another. This should not be left up to men but they should at least be a part of the beginning of the process.

In Black Panther you see that nearly all of the major decisions are made or done by women. This is very refreshing since you usually see women complying. Other examples of this would be in the show Doc McStuffins. It is composed of a black family where the mother is a doctor and her daughter aspires to be one. They focus on the accomplishments and goals of women.

Negative effects of taught masculinity are a lack of expression from men. They can start to suppress their emotions and begin to negatively take them out in a variety of ways. This can be seen in the movie Til Death Do Us Part. The husband made his wife quit her job and began abusing her to the point where she left him before a terrible series of events happened, without giving away too much of the movie, it’s a dramatic, interesting watch. I recommend it as it is a great example for this post.