The body is identity, both inside and out. It is a canvas that we use to paint who we are and what we mean in the world. However, something I have failed to see prior to this point, is how our “bodies are more fluid and flexible than we often realize” (McDowell, In and Out of Place: Bodies and Embodiment). Of course, in the physical sense, bodies can move and bend. However, in this case we interpret the notion of ‘fluidity’ as an effect on the body due to the contextual terms of society. Social norms have a tremendous impact on how we perform, our consumer choices, and even interpersonal relationships. It is something we are constantly and unconsciously yielding to despite knowing its negative consequences.
Focusing on body as a place of expression, we all have some idea of what is “appropriate” in different types of places. These gendered norms vary for both men and women. If a woman were to act demanding or bossy this would be seen as out of line. For a man to show his emotions, the same would be considered for him. It has been deeply engrained into the public mind it is “normal” for a woman to be emotional, but a man must be strong as if nothing can phase him. As Linda McDowell mentions, the body has become a major object for scrutiny and regulation (McDowell, In and Out of Place: Bodies and Embodiment). It is for fear of this scrutiny we become more mindful of ourselves in our bodies and our presentation to others. Our body becomes something we have to hide or protect from the public eye because society tells others what is socially accepted. If you don’t fit in under the critical eye of society, you become the outlier.
McDowell, Linda. 1999. "In and Out of Place: Bodies and Embodiment." Chapter 2 in Gender, Identity, and Place: Understanding Feminist Geographies. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
I think this is important to focus on because when we talk about gendered norms and expectations we tend to focus on women and how they are often marginalized because of these expectations but fail to understand the terrible effects these have on men as well.
ReplyDeleteI like to think of these expectations and their negative consequences in the realm of space, focusing on the Intimate/Public spheres. Women are trained to be emotional to help support them in their expected roles of wife and mother. Men on the opposite hand, are taught to ignore all emotions or hide them away to help them excel in their Public sphere jobs. This sadly leaves people of both genders half unprepared as life today is a mix of public and private amoungst all genders.
Thank you for your ponderings, Emma!
ReplyDeleteAs you and Anja have touched upon, the body as place or expression unearths the private and public sphere. This dichotomy not only notates our compartmentalization of self, but the “accepted” mannerisms that perpetuate it. Walking around in one’s underwear, for instance, is not widely practiced in public and would receive ramifications otherwise; stares and shouts would accompany such a display that would teeter on public indecency. The latter charge is a punitive measure that further solidifies socially sanctioned behavior and the spatial dichotomy.
However, what happens when bodies are not able to express in either public or private? Chauncey (1995) explores the latter with anti-gay regulations in 1920-30s New York City. Analyzing queer space through daily interactions and practices of gay men, while also notating historical context, then “has implications for the theorization of urban space in general” (p. 202). Chauncey’s (1995) piece, then, ultimately highlights the fluctuating boundaries of public and private, and heteronormativity’s conceptions of such. Additionally, Brownlow (2005) notates how protective strategies influence spatial participation or (in)visibility. Despite being far more likely to experience violence, young men make a spatial claim when carrying a handgun, seeking to control a landscape that otherwise seems uncontrollable. This contrasts to young women’s avoidance strategies when feeling unsafe or scared in a public. Even though a handgun could be perceived as an accessory, young women’s bodily expressions—particularly short shirts and shorts—were scrutinized by their counterparts (p.586-7). Sexist remarks, then, highlight victim-blaming within overarching masculine discourses. Thus, bodies inform and are informed by context.
References
Brownlow, Alec. 2005. “A Geography of Men’s Fear.” Geoforum 36:581-592.
Chauncey, George. 2014 (1995). “Privacy could only be had in public: Gay uses of the streets.” Pp. 202-205 in The People, Place, and Space Reader edited by Jen Jack Giesking and William Mangold. New York: Routledge.