From: Kaitlyn
Cody (age 13) plays Xbox games every day after school with his friends on Xbox Live. Most of Cody’s games involve some type of physical violence. For example, his game shown is the new Grand Theft Auto, where his male African American character is captured firing a gun. In the background of the photo, a tapestry of deer in the woods is on the wall and there is a gun propped up in the corner of his dresser. On display in the upper right corner of the picture is football trophies Cody has won over the years. The way Cody views masculinity is evident with his choice of bedroom décor and choice of games to play. The gender schema for males lies along the lines of tough, rough, and full of strength and power. Children learn gender schemas from the social environments they are exposed to. Xbox Live is a way to talk to other friends while playing the video game. By socializing with other boys playing the same game, Cody is also being exposed to their violent characters and how they interact with the game. For example, if a kid is yelling and cussing in his Xbox mic about his character being shot, Cody would think it is okay for him to cuss and scream about it too since his friend is doing it. Boys playing these games expose themselves to different levels of violence with guns and physical abuse. Football is an all-male, very physical and rough sport. To play football, you basically have to be willing to get hurt and get rough. Most male sports involve some sort of physical contact because the male gender is looked at as tough. While hunting, the hunter has the power to kill if he wishes. Boys who carry guns think that the guns will make them look powerful because they have the option to kill, making others fear or respect them. Not only do boys hunt and kill animals, but they play games where they are shooting or beating other people. The violent games contribute to violent behavior in boys, which may lead them to live a violent lifestyle and think it is okay or “normal” for them to behave this way since they have been exposed to it in games. Male gender roles are stereotyped as a higher status or domineering than females, which leads men to behave as they are the powerful sex, by participating in hobbies, jobs, and activities that portray them to be a strong, tough individual.
2 comments:
I find this picture to be very interesting because when I look at it, I just see violence; hunting, guns, contact sports, aggressive video games. In fact, the only thing I see that does not highlight aggression is the picture of, what I’m assuming to be, him as a young boy playing in the water. I think the little picture is there to symbolize childhood innocence, and to show how youth is innocence. The room seems to be dark, and maybe it has to do with the lack of colors, but this photo elicits a sad emotion from me. The boy is standing very close to the TV, which strikes me as odd because when people play video games they neither stand nor place their face two feet from the screen. Perhaps the author is trying to convey that media in general has such a strong hold on our youth. There is no eye contact, except from that of the deer, which makes me feel like the deer is waiting for the child to step out of his fantasy life and into his real life. Children these days are so engrossed with computers, video games, and TV, that they end up becoming a product of what they watch. The gun is very daunting to me. It makes me feel uncomfortable that a child so young would have a gun, unlocked, readily available. Again, this shows how this child is a product of his socialization. I think the theme of this picture is that boys are socialized to be aggressive, and what a perfect example this is.
In “How To Be A Boy,” I see a typical male in a typical male environment. The gun and the woodland scenery are both closely related to boys, because it backs the idea that men are strong and ruthless. The video games today, especially “Grand Theft Auto,” which is what is on the television, are very violent and develop the kids that we see now. In the picture, I see the video games as representing all media, including music and movies. All media has a huge effect on people, especially young children. The trophies seen in the top-right corner show the athleticism and strength that all “normal” males possess. Football is a dominant male sport, emphasizing toughness, strength, and speed, all attributes that young boys are judged by on the playground or the field.
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