Masculinities Introduction and Problematic Freedom of Speech

Questions posed to the reading of “Five faces of Oppression”

What is the difference between free speech and hate speech? How do systems of violence protect hate speech?

I draw the line using the concept of fist to face. Where my fist hits another persons face, is where my line of freedom ends. I apply this to language as well. Where my words or language step over the line and begin to harm another person, emotionally, physically, sexually, mentally, my freedom of speech stops. Yet, within the governmental system, free speech seems to be used as a way to protect the right to speak freely, if one is a member of the dominant culture and breaks down in practice with marginalized groups. We have to ask, whose speech is being protected?

A couple examples from class were:
-Georgia Tech, Ruth Malhotra: A woman, who according to my classmate, sued the university in order to use homosexual slurs as a part of her amendment right to free speech.

These are the only links I discovered pertaining to Ruth Malhotra:

http://media.yaf.org/commentary/club100_malhotra031306.cfm

http://www.studentsforacademicfreedom.org/news/1389/BuzzRuthMalhotraInterview051206.htm

Careful on that first one, it does a very nice job of devaluing feminism and speaking about how “leftists” want to burden society with change and force their “feminist agenda” onto our perfect capitalist society. Please someone be able to read sarcasm.

-Athletes calling each other by feminized slurs such as “pussy,” “sissy,” and “faggot” on the elevators in Pullman, and my discomfort with the words being used ever and especially around me, yet how difficult it is to speak up when they’re so much larger than I am, and the threat of violence is implied within their team and their vocabulary.


Is it possible for someone to exist outside of systems of domination? What is an individuals connection to the system?

-It’s possible to be aware of the systems of oppression and resist domination as well as resisting assimilation into one big labor supplying work force. My group and I, didn’t think it was possible though, even in a conversation about a separatist commune system, to live outside of the systems of domination. We exist, as mammals, as humans, within the system, tied through needs, access to resources and connections.

Another classmate brought up a valid point, about how, whether or not an individual ascribes to labels, still other persons within the system, connect them to labels through social location.


How does the myth of meritocracy (define on website)keep us from understanding/realizing the faces of oppression?

Meritocracy stems from a concept of individuals “pulling themselves up by their own bootstraps,” which stems from the old cowboy myth of the “American Dream.” Where if one works hard enough, through merit (one gets what one deserves), that person will end up where she or he deserve to be. Meritocracy also believes that we’re all given a level playing field, one MJ likened to a flat football field, where we’re running as fast and as hard as we can to score a touchdown, without taking into consideration that instead of one big football field, we all have different individual fields, some more sloped, or older, or a back yard lot.

Is hegemonic masculinity a form of cultural imperialism?

Yes. Where one, entrenched form of masculinity is considered the norm and all other forms of masculinity, instead of being considered just different, are approached as “deviant,” “negative,” or “bad,” it sets men up to be either assimilated into the dominant cultural definition of masculinity, or to be tossed aside with the aberrations, known as women. Passive domination, through not standing up and rejecting the unearned privileges also ties into passive racism, and racism ties directly into imperialism.