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Assignment 5

In CJ Pascoe’s novel, he discussed how during an event in a gymnasium, two boys dressed as nerds for a short play. Accompanying these nerds were their girlfriends and two gangsters that sought to bully the nerds. The nerds showed a short sequence of events where they attempt to gain their girlfriend back from a kidnapping by gangsters by power working out. This was a bit hilarious to the audience in the gymnasium because of the generalization that nerds are tall and skinny. Proceeding this, the nerds proceeded to save their girlfriends from the kidnapping.

Pascoe believes that one should not be characterized as not manly enough just because they dress in a certain way, especially in this instance. The barbells were a symbol of masculinity in this novel and should not be, because any one can lift barbells and it should not put a label on who they are as a person. In retrospect, if one chooses to not lift barbells that should not have a label put on them as well. Pascoe goes on to describe several other generalizations such as femininity, hypersexuality and black cultural style. Pascoe affirms that masculinity should be thought of only as a culture of dominant practices and nothing else should be associated with it, including gender. Talcott Parsons, a sociologist, believes that men and women should adhere to their gender roles because it helps to create a well ordered society. For example, women cannot be breadwinners of the family and men cannot be caretakers. R.W. Connell, also a sociologist, argues that very few men are dominantly masculine, and that most men incorporate some form of femininity to themselves. The idea of multiple masculinities has inspired and influenced countless studies in sociology. All in all, Pascoe believes sexuality should not encompass certain gender specific rituals, and that gender differentiation should be illustrious.