- Name of Faculty Advisor: Professor Maureen Bracewell
- Advisor’s home department: Women’s and Gender Studies and Anthropology
- Tutorial number: LBST 390 – 05
This term, Professor Bracewell and I explored the social construction of gender in relation to masculinity, both in Canada and other cultural contexts. This was done primarily through bi-weekly meetings, assigned readings (chosen by Professor Bracewell and myself during our meetings), three 500 word response papers to various readings, and a final 1500 word critical research paper. This tutorial required that I initiate, execute, and take responsibility for self-directed interdisciplinary research and thus satisfies PLO 1 – Self-directed learning.
The assigned readings for this tutorial approached masculinity from the disciplines of: History, for example, through examining coureur des bois masculinity; Sociology, for example, through examining how sports both shape and are shaped by masculinities; Indigenous Studies, through exploring Indigenous perspectives on Indigenous masculinities; Queer Theory, for example, through exploring arguments which use Queer Theory to explain the oppression of queer masculinities in Canadian culture; and, Women’s and Gender Studies. In each meeting, Professor Bracewell and I critically discussed the concepts, theories, and practices present in each of the readings and often paralleled our findings to current events or other contemporary examples. These aspects of this tutorial satisfy both PLO 2 – Knowledge and PLO 7 – Local and global consciousness.
The topics of my response papers include the construction of masculinities, Indigenous masculinities, and queer masculinities. Specifically, my responses include: a synthesis of Robidoux and Laberge’s ideas concerning the construction of masculinity, a critical response to “Remembering the Sacredness of Men” in Masculindians by Sam McKegney, and a critical response to “Que(e)rying Canadian Manhood: Gay Masculinity in the Twenty-First Century” by James McNinch. These assignments required that I apply my knowledge on the construction of gender and of masculinity (especially from a Women’s and Gender Studies perspective) to produce well-organized, university-level, critically searching, and interdisciplinary works in written forms. Therefore, these assignments satisfy PLO 2, PLO 3 – Application, PLO 4 – Synthesis, and PLO 6 – Communication.
My final assignment for this tutorial was a critical research paper on ‘Incels’ (shorthand for “involuntarily celibate”)—a (mostly) online subculture of anti-feminist men’s activists. The inspiration for this research paper came out of a discussion with Professor Bracewell. This paper examined the history of the anti-feminist men’s movement, contemporary anti-feminist men’s movements or subcultures, and the Incel subculture. An important aspect of this paper considered and critically assessed the impacts of this and other toxic masculine subcultures on the general population, especially, on women. This assignment required that I apply foundational learning and holistic problem-solving skills. As well, I had to synthesize the knowledge I gained over the course of this tutorial with peer-reviewed research articles and some popular media sources on the topic. From this research, I produced a well-organized, coherent, critically searching, and interdisciplinary university-level paper. This assignment satisfies PLOs 3, 4, 6, and 7.
I will continue to pursue my interest in masculine hegemony and alternative representations of masculinity in a tutorial in Summer 2019. In this tutorial, Professor Efrat El-Hanany and I will examine representations of men and masculinity in art throughout the ages.
I do not yet have a clear idea of what I will focus on for my graduating project, however, I do expect to continue with the theme of masculinity in my final project.