Men's Club: Homosociality and Hegemonic Masculinity Maintenance

In Sharon Bird's work, "Welcome to the Guy's Club: Homosociality and the Maintenance of Hegemonic Masculinity," she discusses what is homosociality and masculinity. Homosociality is when there are no sexual tourist attractions held by men for members of their own sex. However according to Lipman-Blumen, homosociality promotes the distinction between males and ladies through partition in social organizations. Not only that, Lipman says it also promotes the distinction of hegemonic masculinity and nonhegemonic masculinity in between the opposing sexes. This causes masculinity.

Masculinity in Bird's meaning is divided into 3 different viewpoints, emotional detachment, competitiveness and the sexual objectification of females. Bird defines masculinity as being mentally detached from all situations. For males to reveal sensations is to expose vulnerabilities and weak point. It is ruled out a social norm or socially acceptable to express emotion due to the fact that feeling is related to weak point and femininity. This results in guys motivating internalizing sensations and emotions to avoid being identified as weak by their own male group.

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The second viewpoint of masculinity is competitiveness. Competition with other men demonstrates male dominance and masculinity. In Bird’s case, she reveals that men always compete to prove that they are better than the other person so they could become a higher rank in their hierarchy of masculinity. Those who do not compete are considered disadvantaged and weaker. Weakness is a trait that is considered associated with femininity. “A man risks a loss of status and self-esteem unless he competes” (Bird 128).

The last viewpoint of masculinity, “sexual objectification of women,” is reviewed where male superiority is maintained.

To maintain male superiority, men are expected to have less heteorosocial relationships and are expected to have more homosocial relationships. The reason for this is because Bird states that men should distance themselves from women. Since men only see women as sexual pleasure and nothing else. Bird’s definition of masculinity views having female friends as a feminine trait. Therefore to avoid women, men objectify them.