‘No pain, no gain!’

Male violence is common throughout the world. Media use male violence to represent masculinity in many cases such as action movies. (O’shaughnessy & Stadler 2007: 357). Violence is often used as a problem solving strategy towards other men, woman, children, animals, objects etc.Violence is one of the main issues the world, especially South Africa, facing.

O’shaughnessy & Stadler also refer to ‘self-destruction’, violence is not always towards other people. This is found in the culture of sport - ‘No pain, no gain.’

(She has been a victim of a possible 'problem solving strategy')

O’shaughnessy, M & Stadler, J. 2007. Ideologies and Discourses of Masculinity. In: Media and Society. Oxford University Press.

Reference list for my Blog:

Berger, J. Chapter 3. In: Ways of seeing. London: Penguin. 1972.

Entwistle, J. 2000. Chapter 1. Addressing the Body. In: The Fashioned Body. Cambridge: Polite Press

Flicr (2010). Fokofpolisiekar – Francois van Coke. [Online image] Availbe from http://www.flickr.com/photos/81217723@N00/2089822122 [Accessed 12/10/10].

Howson, A. 2004. Chapter 4: The Body in Consumer Culture. In: The Body in Society. Cambridge: Blackwell Press.

Meganshead (2010). The Soli Story. [Online image] Available from http://www.meganshead.co.za/?tag=soli-philander [Accessed 12/10/10].

O’shaughnessy, M & Stadler, J. 2007. Feminism, Postfeminism and Ideologies of Femininity. In: Media and Society. Oxford University Press.

O’shaughnessy, M & Stadler, J. 2007. Ideologies and Discourses of Masculinity. In: Media and Society. Oxford University Press.

WEST CAPE NEWS (2010). Juvenile criminals fall through chasm of state ineptitude. [Online image] Available from: http://westcapenews.com/?p=1706. [Accessed 07/10/10

What really constructs gender?

Arguments revolving gender are; is gender a social or biological construction? Biological essentialism (philosophical doctrine of essences) refer to physical construction of the body, hormones etc. that define the essence of identity. (O’shaughnessy & Stadler 2007: 327). Social construction refer to social forces such as media, family, education etc. that defines identity. For example, a gay person would be seen as male in terms of Biological construction (penis), but female in conditions of social construction (dress).

Cape Town has a gay group known as the ‘sexy boys’ who lives on the street. They were clothes and dresses associated with and made for the female body.They construct their gender socially by clothes and the way they speak (tone of voice).

This guy above is not one of the 'sexy boys', but by his tone of voice I could here he is male.Your voice tone can be a biological or social construction. You are born with a certain tone, but you can manipulate it as you want to.

O’shaughnessy, M & Stadler, J. 2007. Feminism, Postfeminism and Ideologies of Femininity. In: Media and Society. Oxford University Press.

Show me your muscle… I show you my poetry.

In western society we experience the encouragement of competitiveness and individuality. It also encourages aggression and violence as approaches to solve problems. This is mostly common in male behaviour. It is a common example of dominant masculinity, as there are many versions of masculinity.(O’shaughnessy & Stadler 2007: 348).

Different styles of masculinity in South Africa: Schalk Burger, Francois van Coke, Soli Philander, Riaan Cruywagen, Koos Kombuis, Deon Maas, Niekie van den berg, Jack Parow etc.

(Meganshead, 2010) (Flicr, 2010)

I was dragged out of a hostile complex with my bergie clothes on by a security guard with some real muscle. (Pictures below).

O’shaughnessy, M & Stadler, J. 2007. Ideologies and Discourses of Masculinity. In: Media and Society. Oxford University Press.

Meganshead (2010). The Soli Story. [Online image] Available from http://www.meganshead.co.za/?tag=soli-philander [Accessed 12/10/10].

Flicr (2010). Fokofpolisiekar – Francois van Coke. [Online image] Availbe from http://www.flickr.com/photos/81217723@N00/2089822122 [Accessed 12/10/10].

"Men act and Woman appear" - J Berger

According to John Berger, the presence of a woman expresses her own attitude to herself, AND DEFINES WHAT CAN AND CANNOT BE DONE TO HER. Her attendance is manifested in her body language, voice, opinions, clothes, chosen surroundings etc. There is nothing she can do that does not contribute to her presence.

The lady (Leonie) in the picture has a very sad story. She explained what happened before to her done by men. Would she been treated like that if she had a handbag, a shiny necklace or cosmetics. Might not, might as well, depends to what degree some men see woman as woman or just an object.

Berger, J. Chapter 3. In: Ways of seeing. London: Penguin. 1972.

Feel like you don't belong.

Going back to Alexandra Howson‘s article, she explains a person’s body can be disruptive. There are thousands of cultures with their own unique dress conventions, which are recognisable and meaning full to the culture. A body that does not conform, because of dress that disobeys cultural codes, is likely to cause offence and even outrage. “This is one of the reasons why dress is a matter of mortality: dressed inappropriately we are uncomfortable; we feel ourselves open to social condemnation.” (Howson 2004: 8).

People looked with massive suspicion to me when I walked in a upper class neighbourhood (Tamboerskloof) dressed as a bergie on both Friday and Saturday nights. My dress did not conform to the area’s code and caused them to think I might do something unlawful in THEIR area.

Howson, A. 2004. Chapter 4: The Body in Consumer Culture. In: The Body in Society. Cambridge: Blackwell Press.

Dress credit? ...street credit...

Yesterday I mentioned cultures and “bergie-culture” specifically. All known cultures dress the body by some means. It can be through clothing tattooing, cosmetics, even in the case of bergies; scars and informal “zombie (rubber) tattooing.” This informal tattooing can be obtained through warming a needle and then pricking the shape or words out with the needle on your skin. At that time a “zombie arm band” or piece of plastic is melted slowly. The drops of melt plastic flows in the shape of the tattoo that is carved with the warm needle in your skin. (Examples of "zombie Tattoo's below)

(West Cape News, 2010)

Most cultures leave the body adorned and decorated, this is how some bergies do it.

(Entwistle, 2000:1)

Before we get to know or speak to a person, we can essentially figure out in which culture they belong and participate in. E.g. there is a clear difference how a Afrikaner boer dress his/her body in comparison with a Goth… Therefore dress is a powerful representation of one’s culture and identity.

Entwistle, J. 2000. Chapter 1. Addressing the Body. In: The Fashioned Body. Cambridge: Polite Press

WEST CAPE NEWS (2010). Juvenile criminals fall through chasm of state ineptitude. [Online image] Available from: http://westcapenews.com/?p=1706. [Accessed 07/10/10].

"My bru, gee small change da jong!"

3^rd day… Start to get really irritated with my sweaty and smelly body. I notice that bergies exist of different cultures, old white Afrikaans people, coloured people, also Afrikaans and black Xhosas.The bergies lost their culture and is participating in “bergie-culture.” Bregie culture in Cape Town is seen everywhere. Bergies make their own money from begging, which is commonly known, but also as car guards and, which I found very interesting, from playing as informal ‘tour guides’ to foreign people. I saw it before and every time in the Gardens past the parliament there is a group that has conflict with each other over the foreign people. Bergies drink cheap wine “papsak”, eat mostly bread and shuffle in public bins for leftovers. Bergies live a sporadic life around town on benches, parks, informal buildings, formal buildings’ porches etc.

Bergies clothes is made up from a variety of old and worn out clothes. The clothes are obtained second-hand from random people or institutions such as the Salvation Army. Bergies’ clothes rarely match, as we are used to let are clothes match, even just to wear a female shirt with a female jean. Bergies are just in need for any material that can fit and cover their body in some way. My goodness I feel fortunate to know that in seven days time I can rip this dirty clothes I’m sitting in now over my head…

Last night I went to be truly uncomfortable and went begging, chatting with bergies while lying next to them and also I have dig in bins. I found a half eaten chicken and mayo sandwich – yummy! (Photos of me by Liesl Smit)