sport has come to be the leading definer of masculinity in mass culture." Bob Connell, 1995

This statement covers such a huge amount of sociological assertions, a doctoral dissertation would not be able to do it justice. What is "masculinity" defined as and how has that definition evolved? What about "mass culture?" How far back shall we trace "historically recent times," and what was the situation before said times? What are some other definers of masculinity? Does the word only apply to those who are physiologically male, or is it a more general term used to describe certain personality traits?

Instead, it will examine the basic premise of the statement that sport is a major defining factor of what it means to be masculine in today's culture, and how and why that statement is true. It will do so first by giving a general history how we as society define...
[ View Full Essay]