Johann and I get together to discuss boys, men, and the problem of the feminization of our society through the lens of Walter Ong's "Fighting for Life."
A very interesting discussion with lots of portable wisdom. Here’s a couple of thoughts from the many that occurred to me as I was listening.
There is a strong class dimension to this. It’s not just in the trades where you see a more confident expression of masculine identity; if you haven’t already, come to an English football match if you want to experience purely male tribal energy. Some teams’ supporters are much better at this than others, which is an interesting phenomenon in itself. If you’ve only seen and heard it on the TV you don’t know it at all.
Also, the point about the female default is well made but there has been a significant rupture in this in the last couple of generations. Female identity has essentially collapsed into a subsidiary of male identity. There actually isn’t a feminine default anymore which is why reactionaries like Mary H are attempting to revive embodiment in feminist discourse.
An endlessly fascinating topic, thanks again for exploring it here and elsewhere.
A very interesting discussion with lots of portable wisdom. Here’s a couple of thoughts from the many that occurred to me as I was listening.
There is a strong class dimension to this. It’s not just in the trades where you see a more confident expression of masculine identity; if you haven’t already, come to an English football match if you want to experience purely male tribal energy. Some teams’ supporters are much better at this than others, which is an interesting phenomenon in itself. If you’ve only seen and heard it on the TV you don’t know it at all.
Also, the point about the female default is well made but there has been a significant rupture in this in the last couple of generations. Female identity has essentially collapsed into a subsidiary of male identity. There actually isn’t a feminine default anymore which is why reactionaries like Mary H are attempting to revive embodiment in feminist discourse.
An endlessly fascinating topic, thanks again for exploring it here and elsewhere.