BEXP 17A10 - Understanding Black Masculinities in the US: A 20th and 21st Century Perspective

The image of Black males has changed radically (and perhaps irreversibly) throughout history—so much so that they are not seen as individuals anymore but as symbols. This course is designed to help students appreciate the ways Black men in the U.S. have been conceptualized as the scapegoats of the society and how representations have been constructed in popular cultures as forms ranging from hypermasculinity to emasculation. Starting with a general introduction about the historical, social, political, and cultural place of African American men in the U.S., we will study the perception of Black masculinities through time, from the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950–1960s until the recent 2020s. The approach will be historical, political, sociological, and cultural in order to initiate the reflection on a more comprehensive understanding of the social position of Black men and their relation to their own masculinities. This will be achieved by covering several topics, including (among others) matters of class, ghettoization, criminalization, political instrumentalization, self-identification and reception, as well as representations in popular cultures.

Marie SELLIER,Yannick BLEC

Séminaire

English

A selection of required readings Connell, R. W. “Chapter 3: The Social Organization of Masculinity.” Masculinities. 2nd ed., U of California P, (1995) 2005, pp. 67–86. Messerschmidt, James W. “Chapter 5: Theory.” Hegemonic Masculinity: Formulation, Reformulation, and Amplification. Rowman & Littlefield, 2018, pp. 109–132. Young, Alford A. Jr. “Black Men and Black Masculinity.” Annual Review of Sociology, 2021, 47, 437-457. DOI: 10.1146/annurev-soc-091620-024714. Smiley, CalvinJohn and David Fakunle. “From ‘brute' to ‘thug:' The demonization and criminalization of unarmed Black male victims in America.” Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 2016, 26:3-4, 350-366. DOI: 10.1080/10911359.2015.1129256. Wilson, William Julius. “The Economic Plight of Inner-City Black Males.” Against the Wall: Poor, Young, Black, and Male, edited by Elijah Anderson, University of Pennsylvania Press, 2008, 55-70. The 13th. Directed by Ava DuVernay, Kandoo Films, Netflix, 2016.

There are no prerequisites.

Spring 2024-2025

1. Midterm in-class quiz (30%) • This 30-minute test will take place in week 6 and will focus on concepts examined during the first five weeks. 2. Moodle forum responses (30%) • Reading questions about the texts and other documents will be posted to Moodle. In addition to these questions, you are invited to post at least one question about the text/document. In order to favor dialog between students, you need to post answers to students' questions and/or answers to show your own point of view about the subject. Answers to questions will be short (100-150 words) and will be given every other week (students with last names from A to M, weeks 3, 5, 7, 9, 11; names from N to Z, weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, 10). Your replies must be posted on the Wednesday before the class, by 8 a.m. 3. Group essay (in pairs) (40%) • In pairs, the students will write a 3,000–4,000-word essay about one of the subjects submitted on Moodle. The topics will be related to the questions studied during the course. You will use the documents studied in class to illustrate your point, in addition to your personal research and documents.

Twelve sessions on topics ranging from "Black Masculinity in the USA," "Gang Culture and Black Masculinities," "Educating Young Black Men" etc.