Who's the man?! : an analysis of the sex-gender-desire paradigm post 20th century's changes

Abstract

This study analyzes the masculine gender, specifically the dominant traditional masculinity - patriarchy - that dominated and ordered Western society but was challenged by the changes of modernity. It aims to uncover how we construct our gender identity and through an analysis of the changes, identify who modern man is and if gender depletion is possible. This was approached through various theoretical positions and an analysis of mass media representations, as it is an important socializing force in our gender identity. Furthermore audience's perception and identification with modern male portrayals were explored, through one on one in-depth semi structured interviews. The findings saw a redefinition of patriarchy, rather than depletion, where new and diverse meanings of masculinity, brought about more freedom, individuality, fluidity and equality in gender identities.