Masculinity
in Modern Europe
Question
Set for Theme 3: Fears for the Modern Man
Braudy, ch.
35; Forth, ch. 6 to p. 153
*1.
What were three trends or events that Europeans thought indicated national
degeneracy?
2.
How was the fear of degeneracy connected to racism?
3. In
what ways did Europeans link the nation and the male body?
*4. [Forth]
According to turn-of-the-century evolutionary thought, what traits demonstrated
white men's more advanced evolution?
Forth, finish ch. 6
*5.
In what ways was it feared that civilization would lead to degeneration?
*6.
What are two ways that men in clerical professions attempted to assert their
masculinity?
7. What
were the purposes of the pursuit of muscularity at the turn of the 20th
century?
Braudy, ch.
34, 36
*8.
What fears did stories like Jekyll and
Hyde and Dracula reflect? (ch. 34)
9.
What is one reason why Europeans/Americans were fascinated and worried about
sexual "perversions" in the late 19th century? (ch. 36)
*10.
How did Oscar Wilde's trial and notoriety affect the public view of
homosexuals? (ch. 36)
Tosh: �The New
Imperialism�
11.
Which was it? Did worries about maintain the empire cause a concern for
masculinity at home, or did concerns about masculinity at home cause a greater
interest in empire building?
*12.
What two institutions developed in the late 19th century reflect a desire to
cultivate imperial values and character in men? [section
I]
*13.
What masculine needs or desires did imperialism did
the fantasy or reality of empire fulfill? [section
II]
14.
What were two in middle-class men's lives that heightened their interest in
pursuing life in the colonies? [section III]
Baden-Powell, Scouting for Boys
15.
For what should boys be prepared? And what preparations should they make?
*16. Scouting for Boys
says that adult peace scouts are "real men in every sense of the word." How so?
17.
Notice how B-P adapts the methods and goals of military scouting to ordinary
domestic life. Describe a few ways
he does this.
*18.
How should a scout treat a woman? How does his treatment enhance his
manliness?
McDevitt, �Gender and Imperial Sport�
19.
How could sports both build and undermine power relationships?
*20.
What is the difference between the middle-class and working-class approach to sportsmanship?
*21.
What was the "games revolution," and how responsible was Thomas Arnold for it?
McDevitt, �May the Best Man Win�
*22.
What is distinctive about boxing in comparison to other sports in the modern
era, and why did it carry so much significance for ideas of manliness and
national pride?
23.
In what ways did middle and upper-class men
participate in boxing? Was this participation manly?
*24.
Why was Jack Johnson a threat to the British people, and why was he barred from
fighting in England?