Masculinity In Michael Kimmel's Angry White Men

What does it mean to be a “man?” Unfortunately, in American culture this is all too important of a question. According to sociologist, Michael Kimmel, being a (white) man entails having much anger, violence, and entitlement, which he describes further in his book: Angry White Men. These actions are also displayed in the 2007 film, The Departed, which follows the story of two white men on their journey to take on the Irish Mob along with the Massachusetts State Police Department. But, where do these actions come from? In this paper, I will be arguing that men in today’s society act out while trying to fulfill the ideal masculine role that is shaped by American society’s social expectations and social institutions including the family,
Though not every sporting event is televised, the ones that are tend to be violent, male sports. One example of a popular, televised sport in America is men’s hockey. Not only is the sport violent in itself, but physical altercations are also allowed and even encouraged. American football also results in violence that can cause serious injury. For example, in 2012 there were 261 reported concussions in the NFL (Garriott, 2014). Research shows that there is a link between masculinity and sports due to the fact that men’s sports not only involve power and privilege, but also display aggression, anger, and domination (Omar, 2011). Fans not only praise the sports, but they also praise the players. Participants of these sports are being idolized for their violence and aggression. This results with having those who are exposed to these sports will then tend to believe that displaying these actions is considered masculine. Therefore, boys and young men who are striving to be “masculine” will then mimic these behaviors in hopes of fulfilling the ideal masculine role that is set by American