Miller_AnnotatedBibliography_October 15, 2014

Curry, Timothy J. (1991). Fraternal Bonding in the Locker Room: A Profeminist Analysis of Talk
About Competition and Woman. Sociology of Sport Journal, Vol. 8 Issue 2. Retrieved
from http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.mantis.csuchico.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=8f
502878-f3df-443e-903c-d84570311f9c%40sessionmgr113&vid =2&hid=117.
This study was done in hope to bring a new approach to the locker rooms effect on
fraternal bonding. One important thing that should be noted is that this analysis was
done by a profeminist perspective. To this end, they conducted their study by obtaining
talk fragment from two major collage team locker rooms and interpret them with a
special attention to sexist and homophobic remarks that reveal important assumptions
about masculinity, male dominance, and fraternal bonding(Curry). She begins with
defining fraternity as a force, link, or affectionate tie that unites men (Curry) and goes
on to state that men tend to derive friendships from doing things togethersome of
the activates around which men bond are negative toward women (curry). In the hope
to change the way that people analyses the subject of fraternal bonding in the locker
room he had talk fragment in one locker room gathered by a senior who had enjoyed a
successful career as a letterman(Curry). In the hope to get a more nature and
unfiltered response by the athletes. From the talk fragment he concludes that most
conversations are about the common interest that derive from shared identities of
male student-athlete (Curry) but with the ever present sense of competition. He
states the competition cause by basic insecurities do not promote positive social
relationships in the locker room (Curry). He goes on to show several talk fragment that
demonstrate this point. He goes on to state because of the need for status attainment in
the bonding of groups define themselves in terms of what is not feminine (Curry).
Then goes on to show several example of men who in the process of bond try to behave
as mean, and unfeeling as possible. His next point he try to make is that sports and the
team becomes the central focus of the athletes lives (Curry). He make the point that
the athletes world revolve around the team, commotion and his team mates. He state
the athletes feel special because as a player put it they are doing something that a lot
of people cant do, and wish they could (Curry). Then he talks about the effect that the
locker room culture has on the way the men look a woman and homosexual stating that
in locker rooms, men talk about women as objects and states that Not only is being
homosexual forbidden, but tolerance of homosexuality is theoretically off limits as
well(Curry). He then goes on to show several examples of athletes in these locker
rooms talking about woman as sexual conquests and then talk about how it was
embarrassing to portray yourself as a homosexual and that behavior was not tolerated.
These to point lead to his concussion that in locker rooms women are disdain or even
hatred express toward them (Curry). In his conclusion he states, By linking ideas about
status attainment with male bonding and masculinity, locker room culture makes it
more difficult for young men to realize that women also desire success and status
attainment through hard work and self-discipline (Curry).
This article has a very opposite outlook then me towards the ideas fraternal
relationship and male bonding and the effect they have on males. As a benefit towards
the locker room culture I found bond there that I believe will last my whole life and
because of this I have always had a positive view on it. This article on the other hand
shows some of the down sides of this bonding that I had never considered before. It
brought to my mind the idea that not only does a fraternal bond between men promote
corporation and kinship but also cooptation and rejection of those outside the family of
the locker room. This has made me want to research not just what good fraternal bond
can do for someone but also the negative effects they can have. One thing that is
important to note is that this study is slightly dated and I should look in to any follow up
research if I were to reference it in a paper and I believe these finding have change and
it might be interested to study the change in this bonding.