Questions -- Dore (2014).

She’s Beautiful When She’s Angry:

1. What was it like to be a woman in North America in the 20th century, before the 2nd wave of
feminism (often referred to as Women's Liberation movement in the documentary)?

You couldn’t want to have a career and you had to want to have children. Women were being
treated like children and had almost no reel rights. They could only be seen as housewives and
not any more. They couldn’t talk about birth control and rape wouldn’t be believed even after
accusing someone. They basically had no equal rights. They were underpaid and given
mediocre jobs.

2. What were some of the internal issues encountered in the movement? Which groups did not
feel included enough and why? What does this tell us about inequalities in society?

African American women decided to create their own group so they could talk about their own
personal problems being African American women that others couldn’t necessarily understand
this was the same for lesbian women. The women rights movement advanced all over the
country creating many di erent groups and di erent types of activist movements. It just comes
to show that not every woman is the same or has the same needs. Everyone has di erent
problems and wants to ght them di erently.

3. What does "personal is political" mean according to the feminist activists? Do you think the
concept could apply to other forms of discrimination? Please explain your answer.

Women being unhappy as housewives is seen as a personal and private issue. Personal
politicians come to show that women being unhappy with their lives is a political problem and
needs to be talked about in politics. I feel as though this can be applied to many discriminated
group. Every group has shared problems that need to be talked about in the political world .
When a big problem is happening it’s important for them to be talked about in a bigger and
more important setting. When in a free country it’s important that all citizens are happy with
their current state of life.

Questions -- Newsom (2015). The Mask You Live in (See notes on this documentary on Page
4):

1. What are the main characteristics of dominant forms of masculinity according to the
documentary?

Men have always been thought to be a man. Have masculin taste, be dominant, be athletic,
etc. Be a man is a phrase that puts boys into a box and the second they exit it they’re seen as
weak and not manly. They’re taught that crying is weak and so are feelings. Many men fear
sharing their emotions in fear of people shaming their masculinity. Gender roles have made it
di cult for men and women to leave the their assigned roles in fear of being rejected from their
peers. Men can only be seen as manly and everything that is seen as feminine is bad. Emotion
is seen as week and must be in control.

2. Sociologist Michael Messner (1997) notes that there are many social costs to displaying
gender in ways that our society deems inappropriate. He particularly focuses on what he calls
the costs of masculinity. While we often concentrate on the costs of being female (such as
lower pay, discrimination, violence, and other factors—discussed in more detail later in this
chapter), our society also has a very restrictive idea of what it means to be a man. For example,
men must avoid anything feminine. Can you identify other examples of “costs of masculinity” in
the documentary?

Often men can’t be themselves because things they like are seen as feminine and weak to
them. They change and choose to do things they dislike just to t into their gender roles. Often
when growing up they choose to do things that t with gender roles they’re assigned with.
These masculine gender roles a ect boys in ways where they tend to feel alone if they choose
to be di erent. They can’t talk about their feelings with others in fear of being less manly.

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3. If you were to construct an alternative masculinity based on the comments of interviewees in
the documentary, what would be its main values and norms? Are there other things that you
would add (write your personal additions in bold)?

If I were to construct an alternative masculinity I would step away from making things
advertised to a certain gender. I’d make sure ads and other things would equally be sold for
girls and boys so no one would feel out of place when liking certain things or activities. I’d
naked sure gender roles were not unforced and young children so that they can grow up being
their true authentic self.