Goldstein and War

For the analysis of are men more violent than women, I used Goldstein's chaper five about men and war. It was scary to read how so much of the upbringing of boys is to prepare them for war. It reminded me of that 'tough guise' movie we watched and how this upbringing can be so detrimental to males. Males are told to suppress their emotions and distance themselves from feeling. This is to help them in a war situation where they have to be killing the enemy men; distancing themselves from them makes it easier to justify it to themselves. Males are taught to idolize Rambo and other military figures. The video games and shows targeted towards boys are violent (the Transformers show averages an attempted murder ever 30seconds). Boys are put in a 'gender straightjacket' Boys are teased if they do not fit the stereotype and they feel shame if they show feeling. It is sick that all of this suppression of emotion is for war. This shut down of emotion also, according to Goldstein, contributes to violence against women.

This article just proved even more to me that boys have just as small as a box as girls do. I did not really realize that previously. It connects to everything we've been talking about in class with the whole tough exterior and unsure on the inside.