MASCULINITY PERFORMANCE ARTICLE ANALYSIS

Masculinity Performance Article Analysis

Masculinity Performance Article Analysis

Introduction

In this paper I Identify two journal articles based on empirical work that approach a subject in a contrasting manner. The articles selected are “Rural geography: rural gender identity and the performance of masculinity and femininity in the countryside by Little J. and Rural geography: searching rural geographies by Roche M.

Analysis

Rural geography: rural gender identity and the performance of masculinity and femininity in the countryside Little J. This article reviews the progress that has been made in the examination of rural gender identities and, in particular, in debates on the relationship between masculinity and the rural environment and community. From the evidence what influences gender identity is very complex. This is because gender and gender identity are not the same thing (Little J. 2002). One's gender can be allocated as being inherited and controlled by the sex chromosomes; however gender identity seems in some cases to be unstable. It can be influenced by many things. In the case described earlier; the botched circumcision, when found living as a 'man', the subject claimed to have always felt something was wrong. At a young age his sex organs had been changed to make his gender female but he felt that the identity that came with this was not suitable for him. It seems like foetal hormones play a big role in gender specific behaviour and perhaps there is some influence on gender identity as well, but that is too simple a solution. So many factors come into affect making it a very subjective phenomenon. People see their own gender identity as something that is appropriate to their own bodies, and there is no simple answer to a governing body that can determine a person's gender identity (Little J. 2002).

Although from the title it would be presumed that the article would be comparing men (masculinity) and women (femininity) in the countryside, to my surprise it actually discussed the relationship and contrast between heterosexual males and homosexual males in the rural environment.

The article used secondary evidence primarily from research in libraries through books and journal articles, including some special edition issues of journals on the subject. In fact there is a very long list of references at the end of the article which list a large range of different journals on the different topics discussed briefly in the article, many by D. Bell, H. Campbell, and J. Little herself individually.

Jo Little describes the approach to her research as an article which aims to improve “theoretical and conceptual discussion of the construction of rural gender identities and sexuality” because it “is relatively undeveloped”. Jo Little's main findings were that a common 'ideal' description can be made of a masculine male in the country as “The good (male) farmer is tough and strong, able to endure long hours, arduous labour, and extreme weather.” She talks only of men, describing their dominance over technology as “critical” to the modern urban ...