UNAIR NEWS – Ministry of Women’s Empowerment of Student Executive Board (BEM) Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) held online discussions via WhatsApp on Monday, July 15, 2019. The topic discussed in the discussion was masculinity. In this postmodern era, masculinity is still a problem in some cultures strong with the patriarchal system (a social system that places men as holders of power).
The speakers at the discussion were Dra. Nur Wulan, MA, Ph.D (Gender Expert FIB UNAIR). Nur explained that masculinity is a norm or value related to men. This masculinity in gender studies is considered as the result of social construction of society.
In a society with a strong patriarchal system, masculinity causes a low opinion of women because people tend to benefit men and limit women. For example, men must be served by women, men are more assertive than women, and men are more rational than women. As a result, women are then considered unimportant or placed second.
“What we have to know is that masculinity is the result of social construction and not a biological inheritance. As a result of the social construction of society, therefore, we can eliminate the values of masculinity so that women can actualize themselves more and occupy the same position as men in society, ” she said.
Nur also explained that gender learning is still very relevant in the present era because discrimination against women still occurs frequently. Through this lesson, students are expected to review and study the masculinity and feminist norms existing in society. So there will be an equal life between men and women.
“If the world is fair, where men respect women and vice versa (Utopian views, ed), maybe we don’t need to study about gender anymore,” she added. (*)
Author: Ransis Putra Gaut
Editor : Khefti Al Mawalia
