“They are Scared of Me”: Black Male Perceptions of Sense of Belonging in U.S. Public Schools

Using a Critical Race framework, this study examined black male perceptions of their sense of belonging in U.S. public schools. The author conducted semi-structured interviews with ten black males who had been expelled from schools. Findings reveal perceptions of a stark discrepancy in the quality of education provided at schools that are predominantly black vs. schools that are more racially diverse. Furthermore participants describe school as a hostile environment for black males citing microaggressions, isolation, and verbal abuse as indicators. Based on the findings, practical recommendations for supporting the educational experiences of black males are offered.

Linking human male vocal parameters to perceptions, body morphology, strength and hormonal profiles in contexts of sexual selection

Sexual selection appears to have shaped the acoustic signals of diverse species, including humans. Deep, resonant vocalizations in particular may function in attracting mates and/or intimidating same-sex competitors. Evidence for these adaptive functions in human males derives predominantly from perception studies in which vocal acoustic parameters were manipulated using specialist software. This approach affords tight experimental control but provides little ecological validity, especially when the target acoustic parameters vary naturally with other parameters. Furthermore, such experimental studies provide no information about what acoustic variables indicate about the speaker—that is, why attention to vocal cues may be favored in intrasexual and intersexual contexts. Using voice recordings with high ecological validity from 160 male speakers and biomarkers of condition, including baseline cortisol and testosterone levels, body morphology and strength, we tested a series of pre-registered hypotheses relating to both perceptions and underlying condition of the speaker. We found negative curvilinear and negative linear relationships between male fundamental frequency (fo) and female perceptions of attractiveness and male perceptions of dominance. In addition, cortisol and testosterone negatively interacted in predicting fo, and strength and measures of body size negatively predicted formant frequencies (Pf). Meta-analyses of the present results and those from two previous samples confirmed that fonegatively predicted testosterone only among men with lower cortisol levels. This research offers empirical evidence of possible evolutionary functions for attention to men’s vocal characteristics in contexts of sexual selection.

Busana, Tubuh, dan Maskulinitas Hegemonik dalam Novel No Knives in the Kitchens of This City

This article discusses how the author describes Sawsan's body and clothing and whether Sawsan is controlled by a system of hegemonic masculinity and male gaze. This study uses descriptive-analytical method to get a detailed description or description of the main character in Khaled Khalifa’s novel No Knives in the Kitchens of this City as the object of the study. The data in this study are all corpuses related to the main character collected by marking, rewriting, and grouping according to the research questions raised. All data collected ware analyzed qualitatively with relevant concepts and approaches. The study indicates that the main character, Sawsan, was a woman who opposes and even destroys the rules and customs of her family and is dubbed as irrepressible. In addition, this study also shows that Sawsan looked an independent and uncontrolled woman; though her body and clothing remain under control of a system that occupied her perception of herself as a woman. Based on the data analysis it can be concluded that Sawsan is dominated by male perceptions including hegemonic masculinity and man's gaze towards her body that influenced her psychological conditions such as being proud, confident, and insulted. Artikel ini membahas bagaimana pengarang mendeskripsikan tubuh dan busana Sawsan dan apakah Sawsan terkontrol dengan suatu sistem yang disebut maskulinitas hegemonik dan male gaze. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode deskriptif-analitis untuk mendapatkan deskripsi atau uraian detail mengenai tokoh utama di dalam novel No Knives in the Kitchens of this City karya Khaled Khalifa sebagai objek kajiannya. Data dalam penelitian ini adalah seluruh korpus yang berhubungan dengan tokoh utama yang dikumpulkan dengan cara menandai, menuliskan kembali, dan mengelompokkan sesuai dengan pertanyaan penelitian yang diajukan. Seluruh data terkumpul dianalisis secra kualitatif dengan konsep dan pendekatan yang relevan. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa tokoh Sawsan merupakan seorang perempuan yang menentang bahkan merusak tata aturan dan adat istiadat keluarganya sehingga dijuluki sang pemberontak. Selain itu, hasil penelitian ini juga memperlihatkan meskipun Sawsan terlihat sebagai seorang wanita yang mandiri, bebas, dan tidak bisa diatur; tubuh dan busananya tetap terkontrol oleh suatu sistem yang menguasai persepsi akan dirinya sendiri sebagai seorang wanita. Berdasarkan analisis data dapat disimpulkan bahwa Sawsan dikuasai oleh persepsi laki-laki termasuk maskulinitas hegemonik dan male gaze terhadap tubuhnya dan mempengaruhi keadaan jiwanya seperti membuat bangga, percaya diri, dan terhina. يكشف هذا المقال عن شخصية سوسان في رواية خالد خليفة بعنوان " لا سكاكين في مطابيخ هذه المدينة"، وهي امرأة متمردة تعارض قواعد عائلتها وتُلقب بـ "المتمردين". على الرغم من أن سوسن تبدو مستقلة ولا يمكن التحكم فيها، إلا أن جسمه وملابسه يسيطر عليهما نظام يتحكم في تصوره لنفسه. و تتناول هذه الدراسة كيف يصف المؤلف جسد سوسن وملابسه وما إذا كان سوسان يسيطر عليه نظام يسمى الذكورة المهيمنة ونظرة الذكور أو نظرة الذكور. و تستخدم هذه الدراسة طربقة وصفية تحليلية للحصول على بيانات وصفية من الوصف والتفاصيل في الرواية. بناءً على تحليل البيانات، استنتج الباحث أن سوسن تهيمن عليه تصورات الرجال بما في ذلك الذكورة المهيمنة ونظرة الذكور نحو جسمه وتؤثر على حالته العقلية مثل جعله فخورًا، واثقًا، ومهينًا.

Comparing Pro-Environmental Attitudes between Males and Females in Embu North Sub-County, Kenya

This study examined pro-environmental attitudes between males and females in Nginda Ward, Embu Sub County, Kenya. The research relied on two theories, theory of planned action and theory of pro-social behaviour. The research followed a descriptive design. Questionnaires with both closed and open-ended questions were used to collect data. The researcher administered questionnaires in person and filled the entire questionnaire according to the participant's responses. 245 participants, comprising 124 adults (comprising men and women) were engaged. Descriptive statistics were adopted for summarising data and comparing responses between groups. Differences in environmental attitudes between females and male participants were examined to determine if the differences were statistically significant. A total of fourteen environmental problems were mentioned by participants to be prevalent in Nginda ward. The top three environmental problems mostly mentioned by participants included deforestation, water pollution and air pollution. Results showed that differences in environmental attitudes between females and males were not statistically significant. However, more females than males perceived various environmental problems to be more serious. Differences between female and male perceptions in relation to the seriousness of various environmental problems were statistically significant, F (1,239) = 8.07, p< 0.001. The findings of this research can guide interventions by government and donor agencies seeking to mobilise and engage participation by both males and females to combat environmental problems in Nginda ward. Future studies are needed to find out whether the scale will produce a similar result in other groups in this community which include the business community, factory workers and eatery owners.

Male Perceptions Toward the Cultural Practice of Chinamwali/Khomba Among the Mahenye

This exploratory and descriptive article explores male perceptions toward the cultural practice of chinamwali/khomba among the Shangaan of the Mahenye community of Chipinge district in Zimbabwe. Chinamwali/khomba is the cultural practice of female initiation among the Mahenye people. The article draws on narratives of men from interviews and focus group discussions and describes khomba/chinamwali as a central aspect of (female) body politics in the Mahenye community, where the female practice of chinamwali marks the entrance into so-called ‘womanhood’ [sic]. The men’s sexually gendered narratives reveal how the women’s bodily sexual enactments become ‘cultural texts’ prescribed and inscribed by (male) societal perceptions and social (sexual) interactions. Semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions were carried out with 40 men from the community. Social role theory was the lens which was used to analyse these dynamics. Emergent findings reveal that the men of the community compel an overtly patriarchal agenda by encouraging and compelling women to be initiated.

A Structured Review and Critical Analysis of Male Perceptions of the Penis: A Comparison between Heterosexual Men and Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM)

Current research into male body image has identified several areas of body dissatisfaction among men, including perceptions associated with the penis. This is the first article to present a structured review, synthesis, and critical analysis of research into male perceptions of the penis, the psychosocial, and sexual correlates and to provide a comparison of outcomes between men who have sex with men (MSM) and heterosexual men. Analysis of twenty-six international studies suggests that men’s accounts of the penis indicate diverse ways of negotiating normative masculinity. Key findings include that most men perceive their penis to be of an average size but would still like a larger one; and differences exist between MSM and heterosexual men in ratings of penis size, emphasis placed upon penis size, and impact of penis size upon sexual behavior. This narrative synthesis has addressed a gap in knowledge concerning how accounts of the penis by men expressing different forms of sexual identification indicate diverse ways of negotiating masculinity.