Term Paper on "Man" -- Defined the Word"

Term Paper 3 pages (1024 words) Sources: 2 Style: MLA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Man" -- Defined

The word "man" is a simple noun that has taken on many complex connotations, or implied meanings, in contemporary language. At its most basic essence, a man is a member of the male gender, as distinct from a female person. A male is an adult, as opposed to a boy. But when a boy is told to "be a man" by his father, clearly the phrase means something more than simply have the necessary anatomy or chromosomes that connote masculinity. Being a man is an active state, the father is implying, not simply having the anatomy or the age of an adult man.

It is true that sometimes, being a man is equated with just simply being human, as in the phrase 'mankind.' This definition is problematic, since it means that women are excluded from the definition of humanity, or encompassed in a definition of manhood that excludes femininity from generic personhood. "The political philosophy of republican citizenship, which Americans originally borrowed from European Enlightenment thinkers, equated the 'rights of man' with the rights of all citizens. Since men were the only voters in most nineteenth century political contests, voting rights and citizenship were directly linked to manhood. This connection between citizenship and manhood shaped the language, strategies and objectives of political and social reform" (Estes, 2005). Advocates of female equality have rightly protested this easy association of being human with being a member of the male gender, preferring the word 'humankind' to mankind, when speaking about all persons.

This does not mean asserting one's manhood has to be a bad thing, however. In fact, one of the reasons that talking about the 'rights of man' was such a radical act in many nations was that claiming manhood as a synonym for one's identity was a powerful rhetorical statement, for members of certain disenfranchised groups. "In the 1780s, the British Society for the Abolition of Slavery adopted as its official seal a woodcut of a kneeling slave above a banner that read: 'Am I not a man and a brother'" (Estes, 2005). This implied that freedom was synonymous with humanity, and to acknowledge someone's manhood meant to acknowledge he was free and part of the brotherhood of humankind. The lack of respect for Black manhood in America, as even Black adult men were called 'boy' in a dehumanizing fashion during the era of slavery and segregation made calling a Black man a 'man' and a 'brother' a politically radical act.

In his famous opening to Invisible Man, American Black author Ralph Ellison wrote: "...I am not a spook like those who haunted Edgar Allan Poe; nor am I one of your Hollywood-movie ectoplasms. I am a man of substance, of flesh and bone, fiber and liquids -- and I might even be said to possess a mind. I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me" (Estes, citing Ellison, 1952). For Ellison, manhood was about the flesh, but also about the intellect and having societal substance. Being a man was being socially acknowledged as such,… READ MORE

How to Reference "Man" -- Defined the Word" Term Paper in a Bibliography

Related Term Papers:

Man Racism Isn't an Inborn Characteristic Term Paper

Man

Racism isn't an inborn characteristic of the human heart; it's something that's learned and reinforced over time. James Baldwin's "Going to Meet the Man," is a heart-rending short story… read more

Term Paper 2 pages (677 words) Sources: 2 Topic: African-American / Black Studies

---

Man as a Passive Agent Essay

Man as a Passive Agent in His Construction of Himself

In "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" Nicholas Carr makes the argument that the internet has not only changed how people… read more

Essay 5 pages (1773 words) Sources: 2 Topic: Religion / God / Theology

---

Man With the Gash, a Story Essay

man with the gash, a story by Jack London, is a story about power, sin, greed and fear, some of the most powerful and influential emotions known to man. It… read more

Essay 6 pages (2154 words) Sources: 6 Style: MLA Topic: Philosophy / Logic / Reason

---

Man Did Evolve Term Paper

Man Did Evolve

Man is a creature who lives in what is known as the Universe. The Universe is made up of a large number of varied materials that interact… read more

Term Paper 9 pages (3818 words) Sources: 1+ Topic: Philosophy / Logic / Reason

---

Man and Superman by George Bernard Shaw Term Paper

Man and Superman

George Bernard Shaw's Man and Superman is a romantic comedy that defies conventional courtship. Whereas traditionally, a woman is hunted by, and ultimately submits to a man;… read more

Term Paper 5 pages (2139 words) Sources: 1 Topic: Family / Dating / Marriage

---

View 100+ more related papers  >>