Final Project Proposal

Objective After the first two weeks of class, my mind was widened to the idea that, in addition to women, men are also oppressed by the patriarchy. I struggled to believe this to be true at first because I didn’t want to take away from the struggle that women fight on the daily. But, with knowing this, I gained empathy for the men in my life who struggle to live authentic lives in fear of not being “man enough”, especially since most of them are comfortable and quite oblivious in this inauthenticity. And, even more so, I’ve realized that women are not in a fight against men, we are all in a fight against a system that values manhood, and it takes brave men and women to rebel against it. I am going to facilitate an on-camera discussion between me and up to 5 self-identifying men individually.The discussions will aim to reveal to the self-identifying men being interviewed as well as my audience the ways in which men are expected to conform to a patriarchal way of life and in turn enforce it unto themselves and others. To reveal their conformity and oppression under the system, I would like to focus on the following categories of life: adolescence, manhood (as a limiting construct), sex and relationships, and emotional coping. I would also like to know if in any way they rebel against the system that inhibits them from living their truth by satisfying an innate desire deemed feminine by their culture, and capture a still of it to encourage others, especially self-identifying men, to rebel against the patriarchal system to promote equality.The stills will create a small book with quotes by the interviewees, and/or poems written by me, based on their answers in each category. I will pass out a copy of the small book as well as scan it an post in on my Instagram. The discussions will be made into a short film/documentary as well and will be published on Vimeo, possibly on my Instagram as well. I thought about creating a two-part film in which I have a discussion with self-identifying women as well, but I would like to first illuminate a narrative surrounding men and the patriarchy that I know many of my peers may not think about often or ever. I also think a women's discussion would be a great way to continue this project after the semester is over.

Timeline Record discussions by 11/18. Edit film by 11/26. Create small book by 11/30. Sources (for now) The Will to Change: Understanding the Patriarchy by Bell Hooks The Will to Change: Feminist Manhood by Bell Hooks Misframing Men by Michael Kimmel