From: Michael
In American society, and western society in general, there are two distinct cultures of gender that we are taught from childhood. Girls are taught that caring and compassion are valuable behaviors, boys are taught toughness and to a degree, violence. According to Rudman, “[these gender schemas] guide how people perceive and organize the world as well as how they behave towards others.” Aggressiveness and a willingness to be confrontational are ingrained traits in most boys, as a result of our childhood cultures. Violence as a form of conflict resolution thoroughly permeates male-focused media, often even in a watered-down form in children’s media. This is, of course, not to imply that violence is never the answer— people doing genocides probably won’t stop if asked nicely —but it shouldn’t be the answer for interpersonal conflicts. Yet, this is what our culture encourages men to do. Not usually explicitly, but it is there nonetheless, in the dozens of action films and army toys and the like. So, it is little wonder that we have an epidemic of men trying to solve their problems through violence, which is compounded by the relative simplicity of acquiring firearms in this country. As one might expect, women almost never commit mass shootings— there have been fewer than five over the last 40 years. Women who want to commit mass murder tend to do poisonings, not shootings, perhaps because it is less confrontational— which would match up with the two cultures of gender.
The subject of my photo was chosen specifically to be provocative- images of firearms are uncommon in an academic setting like this, and much less loaded ones with the juxtaposition of school supplies next to them. The books are simply my own school supplies for this semester, and the rifle is also mine. (I enjoy target shooting, and the rifle is quite similar to what I carried in the army.) The hands belong to my roommate, but they can also be the viewer’s. I focused mostly on the use of empty space in the image: the chairs are empty, the walls are blank, the lighting is harsh and synthetic, and everything is in clear view. The empty space is deeply uncomfortable, forcing the viewer’s gaze towards the objects on the table. The symbolism in the objects is barely symbolism at all- they simply are what they are. The gun doesn’t need to symbolize violence; it literally is a tool of violence. The only true use of symbolism here was scattering ammunition around the rifle, the haphazard angles symbolizing the chaos of violence.
Works Cited:
Rudman, Laurie A., et al. "The Two Cultures of Childhood." The Social Psychology of Gender: How Power and Intimacy Shape Gender Relations. The Guilford Press, 2015, 59-63.
2 comments:
From: Breana W.
Michael, this image grabbed my attention almost instantly. My eyes were automatically drawn to the Tavor x95 semi-automatic rifle and scattered ammunition. In my opinion the school supplies on one side of the table show the pull a male might have to focus on their studies. As well as how the viewer’s/model’s fingers are closer to the notebook rather than the rifle. The empty chairs may shed light on how the male is typically alone. Possibly the friendless student that roams the halls of school with his head down, or the young adult male that spends countless hours alone in their room. The mood of this photo come across as traumatic, chaotic, and alarming. Maybe this young male is thinking of putting this rifle in his backpack along with his supplies. Young men learn from an early age to be strong, aggressive, and violent. Nerf Gun’s, BB Gun’s, toy soldiers are given as gifts for birthday and Christmas. How could a young boy not think this is what is expected of him. The empty walls symbolize to me that this person has no attachment to his home. Furthermore, it can demonstrate that he is only focused on the rifle and his studies. That he may feel numb, worthless, and wanting to take his aggression out at a moments notice. The scattered bullets that are pouring over into his study area are the biggest symbol for me. Thoughts of ending his life or another’s are mounting inside his head. He has a choice to make, be weak and get mental health help or continue down this dark road.
Hi Micheal,
This is image instantly grabs your attentions because it is so focused on the objects on the tables. I think it’s great how you added the hands, it definitely makes the viewer feel as though they are in this situation. I think the hand placement sheds light on the struggles of having different things to focus on and trying to make the right decisions- as the hands are closer to academics but obviously still contemplating. The emptiness of the surrounding area shows how the person may be feeling- whether it be home life, loneliness at school, or even just the feeling of being alone even if he’s not. I believe the entire photo sheds light on how boys/men grow up thinking they have to be in control of themselves. They are taught to be assertive, more aggressive and “head of household”, and how they may struggle with these things. Instead of having somebody to talk, they feel alone so making the wrong choice may come as a easier choice.
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