Masculinity involves attitudes and behaviours that signify and validate maleness.
4 types of masculinity:
Hegemonic – Men power over woman
Complicit – Not physically strong but shows traits of hegemonic masculinity
Marginalized – Racial identity other than white, or poor men.
Subordinate masculinities – Men who do not fit in with the hegemonic masculinity and therefore are treated as lower on the gender hierarchy
Different stereotypes of masculinity :
Self sufficiency – Men should figure out things by themselves without help of others
Acting Tough – Men should always defend their reputation and be willing to use physical aggression to do so
Physical Attractiveness – A man should be physically attractive but do it effortlessly
Men are stereotypically seen as big and strong, they are seen to protect their family and to make money to support their family. However not all men are like this, these days men can be perceived in lots of different ways.
Cindy Sherman is a prominent photographer when it comes to looking at gender and identity. She is based in New York, however grew up in New Jersey, Her work since the early 60’s has been relevant and as time has progressed her work has too, using the modern day improvements to develop her themes and work. Her frame started when she had worked on a project in the 70’s with other prominent photographers, however she studied art at collage until 1972 when her attention firmly turned to just photography. Throughout her career artistic aspects have peaked through with her designing sets, props and costumes to create a snapshot of seemly un created time when in fact everything was designed to look that way. Cindy has been the model in most of her photos, following and unusual style of dressing up for self portraits disguising herself, can they still be considered self portraits? This is where Sherman’s photography has become prolific in the modern world as she discusses themes based on characters she creates and story lines she makes in her work. As her work expanded her work grew to more grotesque themes, starting with one of her projects in 1992 ‘Sex pictures’ which included the photographer using prosthetics and mannequins to almost recreate men’s erotica at the time. As times progressed into the early 2000’s Sherman started to use digital adjustments along with her array of characters she has created within herself by using costume and makeup. Sherman has progressed with times and kept up with new technology developing her own individual style to keep up with times, keeping her work ever developing and relevant for reasons other than the idea of identity behind them.
I chose to analyse this photo in particular because it has given me an idea for a photoshoot I want to do while being a great representation Sherman’s style. It spoke to me as a photo for many reasons, technically it’s an interestingly but well composed photo however looking at the emotional response to it it’s a great photo. By being composed interestingly it makes the viewer think it was a snapshot someone else took of someone, probably close to them, working in the garden. The rule of thirds isn’t placed in the most common way instead the subject is in the the last third and there is a pallet board in the corner of the first third in the foreground. In the middle third there is nothing in the foreground instead there is a pile of bricks in the background. The branches in the top section of the photo are in the foreground and out of focus but the soft black and white stops them being too distracting away rom the model. Sherman is dressed in a white oversized shirt, hat, sunglasses and sandals. The bright white of the shirt contrasts the dark greys and light blacks in the rest of the tonal photo, which draws immediate attention to Sherman as the subject of the photo. The shot was taken by placing the subject, Sherman, as the only thing in the middle ground and the rest in the background or foreground, by also having the fence go diagonally doesn’t distract from Sherman and in fact leads the viewer towards her. On the more emotional side to the image, I think it is a great example of what a man expects a women to be like and what we look like in their perception, as what I saw when I actually looked at the photo was a women working in the garden in impractical clothing as white is not a great colour for working in a muddy garden, also it appears Sherman does not have any trousers on, she probably has shorts on as the lighting gives the impression that it is summer. The photo also appears that it was an unplanned photo taken by someone close to her like a husband or family member. Having looked into Sherman and some of the context behind her work it makes sense for the photo to appear to be taken by someone close to her as she her work is heavily influenced by how she grew up and heavily effected by her brothers suicide. “I will survive” “They are women who have gone through a lot and come out the other side,” she says. Sherman herself says that the photos are important to her and are made to look like the subject (herself) has been through a lot and survived. She feels she that she has never lost herself in her work but instead when she sometimes doesn’t recognise herself that she is amazed by what she sees.
Previously known as Lucy Schwob, Claude was a freedom fighter she defied the conventional ideals of beauty and femininity with her Masculine clothes and shaved head.
Her work blurs the gender and behaviours which serves to undermine the stereotypical ideas of gender bias. She lived through the Jersey occupation of WW2 and her work was very influential through those times.
Her work was meant to unsettle the audience’s understanding of photography as a documentation of reality. Her public image has become a commentary which challenges the publics notions of gender and beauty.
Artist analysation –
In this image, there is a clear representation of Claude’s feelings and thoughts for aesthetics. You can see that the models in this photo have quite masculine features showing that they were men but the makeup that is on their face proves Claude’s style of undermining the gender and identity stereotype at the time. The use of feminine men in her work showed how little she cared about the gender bias in the first place.
This photo clearly shows that the models have masks on which clearly states the theme of identity through the idea of covering up how you look. This also shows the theme and style of social identity bias, showing how you may not fit in to society’s norms and needing to change yourself to feel normal and comfortable to b e around others.
I spent time on 3 different days taking photos at the Arts Centre, a house in St. Peters and multiple locations in St. Lawrence and St. Helier.
During my photoshoot with Jaime I used a tripod with camera settings approximate to this for most photos:
Most other photos I stuck to a low aperture (4-6.3), 400-800 ISO and a shutter speed of about 1/60.
Most my photos were rejected because I was not happy with the exposure, focus or pose. Because I had medium-dim indoor static lighting I had trouble figuring out how to take clear photos without blurs.
Some photos were taken with a mix of natural light which contrasted heavily with the indoor lighting and also meant I had a hard time selecting white balance.
Photos that I deemed to have potential made it into the so-so rating as there wasn’t anything inherently great about them and they could have been improved by sharper focus or lighting, or a more intentional pose. Others in the yellow category had good composition but too harsh lighting.
Finally, the 32 photos I have approved are sharp, have balanced exposure and capture the formality of environmental portraits.
Most of the photos I have selected where taken after I had experimented with the cameras settings in the same shot to understand and intentionally capture what I wanted.
Best Photos (unedited):
Final Edits:
Jaime Paull, JP Carpentry
This photo was taken in the early morning (8:30ish) to have a soft lighting coming in from the right side and is taken outside of his work van where he carries all of his equipment and resources.
Using the van door frame I framed Jaime against the dark interior of his work van for some contrast. Additionally, the saturated power tools strike quite boldly against the monochrome background.
I think the photo is quite sharp, so I increased the saturation as much as I could to accentuate different objects, bone structure and shadows.
Also, to remove any distraction from the background above and beneath the vehicle I placed a light vignette which also softens of the sides of the image as a nice break from the strong colours and lines in the focal point.
“handsome, muscled, and driven, he’s a prime example of masculinity”
Femininity : femininity is defined as qualities or attributes regarded as characteristics of women or girls.
Masculinity : masculinity is defined as qualities or attributes regarded as characteristics of men or boys.
Masculinity theme
Masculinity = social expectations of being a man: The term ‘masculinity’ refers to the roles, behaviours and attributes that are considered appropriate for boys and men in a given society. Masculinity is constructed and defined socially, historically and politically, rather than being biologically driven.
Male stereotypes –
Powerful
Strong
Tough
Independent
Assertive
Leaders
Courageous
Dominant
Men are generally expected to be strong, aggressive, and bold. Every society, ethnic group, and culture has gender role expectations, but they can be very different from group to group. They can also change in the same society over time.
Men are seen to be strong minded, not emotional, to look after the house or people around them, powerful, dominant or in control, very independent tough and aggressive when provoked or questioned. This could could bring a lot of pressure on men to not do the wrong thing and not make any mistakes.
There is also a thing called binary opposite’s.
As you can see, men and women are a binary opposite and have many opposite characteristics which makes it harder for people to accept them.
MASCULINITY HISTORY
In the 1950s, males purpose was to make the money and living for the family but still able to go to the work environment meanwhile the female looked after the children. The male was to make a family and be powerful and strong minded enough to do both. This could’ve created a lot of pressure on men as they also have the stereotype to not express emotions.
What is the difference between masculine and feminine posing?
A closed or clenched hand tends to be more masculine while a relaxed or lightly curved hand has a feminine inference. Unlike feminine poses, masculine poses avoid softening the pose with rounded shoulders or exaggerated shoulders, hips, and legs.
What makes a pose masculine?
Stereotypical male model poses all involve making the man look fierce. Anything that can be done to convey power and dominance should be included in the pose. While females are always looking for ways to emphasize curves, men are looking for hard angles and straight lines.
What makes a pose feminine?
Create Curves-They’re what make most women feel feminine. Highlighting a female model’s curves also has the added benefit of making the waist look more defined. In standing poses this can be achieved by having the model put her weight on her back foot. Add in a knee bend away from the camera .
Femininity is a set of attributes, behaviours, and roles generally associated with women and girls. Femininity can be understood as socially constructed, and there is also some evidence that some behaviours considered feminine are influenced by cultural factors and biological factors. Femininity creates stereotypes for the ways a woman should both behave and look. The societal expectations for a ‘feminine’ appearance include long hair, softer features and clothing choices like dresses and skirts. Traditional femininity sets societal expectations and standards to create toxic femininity. Toxic femininity can create societal pressures for women due to the enforcement of unrealistic beauty standards and behaviours. This causes some women to feel judged, constrained and pressured to fit these expectations, possibly even causing them to experience struggles such as isolation, anxiety, and hiding their true identity.
Society’s perception of femininity has changed over the last century as shown:
1930s
1940s
1950s
1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
2020s
Some factors of femininity are :
Gracefulness
Gentleness
Empathy
Loving
Humility
Sensitivity
Emotional
In the 1900s, and only up until recently, women were often objectified and seen as ‘less’ than men. This was a common stereotype that was shared across the world. It was expected that women were to stay at home with their children and spend their days cooking and cleaning for the family. Whereas men were expected to go out and do work in order to provide for the family. Women were not allowed to get jobs as it was only viewed as a ‘masculine’, meaning people assumed they were not capable of doing a mans job. This made life tough for women as well as young girls growing up because they were portrayed as weak and incapable.
However, perspectives began to change soon after when many women began standing up for themselves. Although, it was tough at first and men continued to belittle them, women eventually began claiming power and often proving to people they were capable of doing anything a man could do. This became more and more successful over time and proved they were as strong as them. Today, women are still fighting for equal rights to men, but the stereotypes and expectations of women have adapted and improved.
Binary opposition:
The themes of ‘FEMININITY and MASCULINITY’ are a binary opposite – a pair of related terms or concepts that are opposite in meaning.
Binary opposition originated in Saussurean structuralist theory in Linquistics (scientific study of language) According to Ferdinand de Saussure, binary opposition is the system by which, in language and thought, two theoretical opposites are strictly defined and set off against one another. Using binary opposites can often be very helpful in generating ideas for a photographic project as it provides a framework – a set of boundaries to work within.
“she alternated between embracing her femininity and concealing it”
Femininity : femininity is defined as qualities or attributes regarded as characteristics of women or girls.
Masculinity : masculinity is defined as qualities or attributes regarded as characteristics of men or boys.
FEMININITY THEME
Femininity also called womanliness is a set of attributes, behaviours and roles that generally associate with woman and girls. Some behaviours that are considered feminine are influenced by both cultural and biological factors.
Some factors of femininity are :
Gracefulness
Gentlness
Loving
Nurturing
Emotional
Sensitivity
These are all stereotypical factors of femininity, however some woman will not show these characteristics because not every woman is the same and they may feel different about different situations to to others. Woman are stereotyped to be seen as more weak than boys and are seen to be more gentle and understanding instead of taking control of a situation.
History
Around 1950, woman were told they had to stay at home and do the cleaning, cooking and to look after the kids whilst the ” man of the house ” went to work and earned the money for the family. Woman were also objectified and seen as a males property rather than a human being to benefit men. This is not acceptable now and woman should not be told they have to stay at home to do those things, woman are now able to go to work and also earn money to support the family. A women’s purpose was to make children and support them only.
Nowadays, there are many woman who don’t feel as though they fit into the category of the stereotypical woman and want to change genders because they feel more comfortable in a males body. There has been a lot of discussion lately about transgender people all over the world because those who feel they want to transgender want to be accepted as how they are and what they feel is right for them. This is also vice versa towards men. This is now acceptable in our generation and society meaning women and men both have a lot more freedom and can do things as they please and do not feel forced into the stereotypes. However, there is slightly still some misogyny within the work environment as men and women may work the same hours and have the same ability but men will have a higher pay rise. Moreover, some women also feel unable to do jobs because they are seen as a masculine job e.g engineer, plumber etc.
One famous feminist photographer is Cindy Sherman
Sherman’s photography is a depiction of the different ways culture defines “woman.” Her art plays on the feminist idea that gender arises exclusively within culture and deconstructs dominant gender ideologies, representing the underside of popular culture’s definition of “woman.” Cindy Sherman is a female photographer who portrays female stereotypes of the 1950’s and 1960’s. When creating her images, she is not only the photographer but the subject as well. Sherman examines and distorts femininity as a social construct. “I like making images that from a distance seem kind of seductive, colourful, luscious and engaging, and then you realize what you’re looking at is something totally opposite,” she reflected.
What are the theories of masculinity and femininity?
Femininity and masculinity are rooted in the social (one’s gender) rather than the biological (one’s sex). It is important to distinguish gender identity, as presented above, from other gender-related concepts such as gender roles, which are shared expectations of behaviour given one’s gender.
Social scientists believe that we acquire characteristics and behaviours’ because of how they are understood by those around us; we gradually become masculine and/or feminine, and we behave in gendered ways in various circumstances for a variety of reasons.
According to the feminist theory, “gender may be a factor in how human beings represent reality.” Men and women will construct different types of structures about the self, and, consequently, their thought processes may diverge in content and form.
What is Goffman’s gender display theory?
Goffman argues that “females in advertising are frequently posing while “using their fingers and hands to trace the outlines of an object, or to cradle it or to caress its surface”. This ritualistic touching is to be distinguished from the utilitarian kind that grasps, manipulates, or holds”.
What is the difference between masculine and feminine poses?
A closed or clenched hand tends to be more masculine while a relaxed or lightly curved hand has a feminine inference. Unlike feminine poses, masculine poses avoid softening the pose with rounded shoulders or exaggerated shoulders, hips, and legs.
“Masc” and “femme” are both shortened versions of masculine and feminine, but are used specifically within the lesbian community (as well as the gay community) and have their own unique connotations. Check out this article in Out Magazine about how femme has come to be defined in recent years and many different things can affect these opinions and changes such as religion.
Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderón was a Mexican painter known for her many portraits, self-portraits, and works inspired by the nature and artefacts of Mexico, she died Died: July 13, 1954, in Mexico. Kahlo was best known for her uncompromising and brilliantly coloured self-portraits that deal with such themes as identity, the human body, and death. Although she denied the connection, she is often identified as a Surrealist as she captures beauty and self love in her images and she can relate and show a lot within her images as she’s reflecting her work with masc and fem.
Frida considered herself an individual. She embraced both her masculine and feminine side and helped break down barriers surrounding gender stereotypes.
She Focused on the spotlight on raw and honest situations that women undergo, she showcased them through aspects of miscarriage, abortion, breastfeeding, birth etc.
I have chosen Fridha Khalo because she interests me within her type of photograph’s and I payed careful attention to the way she brings out masc and fem in her images.
Claude Cahun
He was a French surrealist photographer, sculptor, and writer. Schwob adopted the pseudonym Claude Cahun in 1914. Cahun is best known as a writer and self-portraitist, who assumed a variety of performative personae, Died: December 8, 1954, Saint Helier.
In 1944, Cahun and Moore were arrested and sentenced to death, but the sentence was never carried out, as the island was liberated from German occupation in 1945. However, Cahun’s health never recovered from her treatment in jail, and she died in 1954. Cahun is buried in St Brelade’s Church with partner Moore.
Despite the social restrictions of her time, Cahun refused to conform to gender norms, adopting a masculine appearance and using gender-neutral pronouns to assert her identity.
What pronouns did Claude Cahun use?
There are convincing arguments to be made for both she/her/hers and they/them/theirs; she/her/hers because that is what was used for Cahun when they were alive and used themself; they/them/theirs because of their oft-discussed detachment from being a woman or a man.
Cahun is best known as a writer and self-portraitist, who assumed a variety of performative personae. In her writing she consistently referred to herself as “elle” (she), and this article follows her practice; but she also said that her actual gender was fluid, which is why Frida Kahlo and Cahun are very similar. they both show senses of exploring identity and a theme of masculinity vs femini which shows so much in our society and shown different yet similar we are to each other.
This is one of Kahlos photos. It shows self of identity and you cant really tell if its masc or fem which is what is great about the photo.
Here is another one which you would think appears female but has some male traits which shows a sense of identity and how open Kahlo was before she passed.
Where as Claud uses more sperate ideas of the photo, such as..
The one on the left shows a bit of both ideas and angles of masc and fem whereas the photograph on the right shows masc traits and is clearly a male from what you can see.
Both artists use many different techinques to get there photo the way they wanted them too. Both showed theory of identity and loads of different themes within our world and society even today.
Masculinity is set behaviors, and roles associated with men and boys. Masculinity can be theoretically understood as socially constructed, and there is also evidence that some behaviors considered masculine are influenced by both cultural factors and biological factors. It is distinct from the definition of the biological male sex,[5][6] as anyone can exhibit masculine traits.[7] Standards of masculinity vary across different cultures and historical periods.
Masculinity is seen to be the trait which emphasizes ambition, acquisition of wealth, and differentiated gender roles. Femininity is seen to be the trait which stress caring and nurturing behaviours, sexuality equality, environmental awareness, and more fluid gender roles.
What is the true definition of masculinity?
Masculinity = social expectations of being a man: The term ‘masculinity’ refers to the roles, behaviors and attributes that are considered appropriate for boys and men in a given society. Masculinity is constructed and defined socially, historically and politically, rather than being biologically driven.
What is the real definition of femininity?
: the quality or nature of the female sex : the quality, state, or degree of being feminine or womanly. challenging traditional notions about femininity and masculinity.
There is also a thing called binary opposite’s..
Particular aspects of identity derived from places we belong to arise because places have figures and images that have meaning and are significant to us. Places represent personal and social memories because they are positioned in the socio- historical matrix of intergroup relations.
Such as..
Gender socialization occurs through four major agents: family, education, peer groups, and mass media. Each agent reinforces gender roles by creating and maintaining normative expectations for gender-specific behaviour.
Social and environmental cues direct individuals to pay attention to external messages—beliefs, values, symbols, and affects—that are deemed self-referent.
What is the difference between masculine and feminine posing?
A closed or clenched hand tends to be more masculine while a relaxed or lightly curved hand has a feminine inference. Unlike feminine poses, masculine poses avoid softening the pose with rounded shoulders or exaggerated shoulders, hips, and legs.
What makes a pose masculine?
Stereotypical male model poses all involve making the man look fierce. Anything that can be done to convey power and dominance should be included in the pose. While females are always looking for ways to emphasize curves, men are looking for hard angles and straight lines.
Create Curves-They’re what make most women feel feminine. Highlighting a female model’s curves also has the added benefit of making the waist look more defined. In standing poses this can be achieved by having the model put her weight on her back foot. Add in a knee bend away from the camera and boom.
