Thoughts of a Younger Me: Definition of Maleness

Maleness, masculinity -- the properties characteristic of the male sex

Masculinity
[n] The trait of behaving in ways considered typical for men
[n] The properties characteristic of the male sex

Manhood
[n] The state of being a man; manly qualities

The three definitions above are all textbook definitions of the terms that we were assigned to define for today’s assignment. Even after reading the definitions, I don't feel that I still have a good idea what I think that these words mean, so I am going to come up with my own definition for each.

The first definition that we will look at is Maleness. The above definition states that maleness is the characteristic of the male sex. Characteristics of the male sex are determined by the culture that one has grown up in. In my culture and in my background, some characteristics of being male are being tough and unafraid. Men and boys are not supposed to be afraid of the dark, and we are supposed to kill spiders and other little critters. Men are supposed to help the female sex and never lay a hand on them in violence. Men are also supposed to be smart and help others when they need help. Men are also supposed to be the head of your household and make more money than thier wife. Men are supposed to have kids and live with a woman. That is my definition of maleness.

The next definition that I want to look at is the definition of masculinity. The above definition states that masculinity is the trait of behaving in ways considered typical for men. The definition also goes on to say that manhood is also the property characteristic of the male sex. I feel that maleness and masculinity are synonyms with each other. They mean the exact same things in my eyes.

The last definition that I am going to look at is the definition of manhood. The definition above states that manhood is the state of being a man; manly qualities. This term seems to be very similar to the term of masculinity, but I think that it is a little different. Manhood is a state of being which is different from masculinity. Even though the definitions are very similar in my eyes, the way that you talk about each one is very different. Manhood is a way that you carry yourself, more like an ego. Masculinity is simply just the traits to describe your manhood.
I do feel that being make is a privilege. I don't feel that I am privileged because I am a male though. I think that being male is a privilege in our society because men are stronger then woman, but on the other hand, woman are considered smarter than men. I think that being male is a privilege because our society tells us so. Look at college basketball. The men's college basketball teams at our University get so much more publicity and a greater turnout than the women's teams. Not that girls are any less athletic than men, it's just because I feel that men are privileged.