RESEARCH PROPOSAL

“(TOXIC) MASCULINITY, POWER

STRUCTURES, SOCIAL HIERARCHY &
THE MANIFESTATION OF
INTERNALIZED HOMOPHOBIA”

Kara Waltersdorff
York College of Pennsylvania // // kwalter4@ycp.edu
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Table of Contents
Introduction ....................................................................................................................................2
Research Interest ..........................................................................................................................3
Purpose .........................................................................................................................................3
Research Design .............................................................................................................................4
Type of Study ...............................................................................................................................4
Basic Design .................................................................................................................................4
Goals of Research .........................................................................................................................4
Data Collection Methods ...............................................................................................................5
Analyzing Forms of Media ..........................................................................................................5
Keeping Track of Data .................................................................................................................5
Generalizability ............................................................................................................................6
Ethical Considerations...................................................................................................................6
Benefits.........................................................................................................................................6
Risks .............................................................................................................................................7
Qualifications ...............................................................................................................................7
Conclusion ......................................................................................................................................7
Appendix I ......................................................................................................................................8
Appendix II .....................................................................................................................................9
Appendix III .................................................................................................................................10
Works Cited ..................................................................................................................................11
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Kara Waltersdorff
10/4/17
Literature Independent Study
Research Proposal

“(Toxic) Masculinity, Power Structures, Social Hierarchy & the Manifestation of Internalized
Homophobia”

Introduction
There are many studies relating to power structures, masculinity and homophobia, but I

feel that often these focus less on internalized homophobia and more on external homophobia.

External homophobia is bad and problematic, but internalized homophobia cannot be discounted

because it affects the person feeling that way and the interactions that person has with the people

around them.

This topic can be focused in several different lenses, but I’m going to focus in on the

gender and social lenses, meaning that I am going to center it around the behavioral and

psychological traits of, in this case, being male, as well as the social environment that promotes

power structure and masculinity.

Some of the studies found in Race, Gender, and Class in the United States include

‘Masculinity as Homophobia,’ ‘A New Vision of Masculinity,’ ‘The Invention of

Heterosexuality,’ among others.

In Jonathon Ned Katz’s ‘The Invention of Heterosexuality,’ he claims that, “the concept

of heterosexuality is only one particular historical way of perceiving, categorizing, and

imagining the social relations of the sexes.” I’m interested in exploring how the concept of
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heterosexuality was defined by society and how that has added to the definition of masculinity

that the has been created.

In Michael S. Kimmel’s ‘Masculinity as Homophobia,’ he discusses how masculinity has

been created and maintained by the culture surrounding us and how it comes to change as time

goes by. He also discusses the evidence that masculinity leads to external homophobia because,

as he says, “We are afraid of other men.”

Suzanne Pharr in, ‘Homophobia as a Weapon of Sexism,’ describes the way homophobia

and sexism affect both men and women. For my project, I will be focusing on the masculine

aspects which Pharr discusses, including the lack of safety, community, and mental health

resources for gay men in society.

Research Interest

Connecting power, society, and toxic masculinity to internalized homophobia is fairly

simple, but pointing it out in actual people can be more difficult, which is why I have chosen to

analyze it through very visible characters in media.

Purpose

The purpose behind this project is to explore how the concepts of masculinity and social

hierarchy contribute to internalized homophobia - specifically for gay men. I’m hoping to find

substantial evidence in my research to show correlation between the social construct of

masculinity, power structures and the concept of internalized homophobia.

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The main question that I seek to answer in my research is: how does the combination of

toxic masculinity, social hierarchy, and power structures manifest themselves into internalized

homophobia? [for more specific research questions, see Appendix I].

Research Design

Type of Study

The type of research that I am planning for this project is qualitative – both archival and

in media studies.

Basic Design

The archival research that I am considering is the anthology, Race, Gender, and Class in

the United States. This is an anthology of many scholarly articles, relating to gender, sexuality,

and social structure. This is where I will find the theory that will be the foundation of my project,

in which I can build my study of the media – both film and television – that I am planning on

analyzing under the lens of gender and sexuality.

Goals of Research

There is an inherent connection between the concepts of masculinity, power structures,

social hierarchy, and internalized homophobia, but sometimes it can be difficult to see in people

that are right in front of you.

With this project, I hope to identify the ways that these things affect internalized

homophobia and point to examples in media to illustrate how it can look, not necessarily how it

always works.
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Data Collection Methods

Analyzing Forms of Media

I have already chosen two forms of media – film and television – to use in my project. I

am going to watch both Shadowhunters, a television series, and Brokeback Mountain, a film.

Alec Lightwood, from Shadowhunters, feels like an interesting example to under a

gender/sexuality lens, because he is a gay man who is raised in a patriarchal, masculine,

militaristic society with expectations for what men should do and be. He comes out at the end of

the first season and in the second season you see him as a more open, affectionate, caring person

who is relatively free from the confines of the society he grew up in, moving past the internalized

homophobia that he had ingrained in him.

In Brokeback Mountain Jack and Ennis refer to their wives, children and jobs frequently.

At one-point Ennis claims, “I ain’t no queer” and Jack agrees. There is never a discussion of the

societal pressures that lead them to hide their sexuality behind masculinity and homophobia.

Before starting their sexual relationship, they push each other away and struggle to accept their

desire and upon starting their relationship, they keep their desire hidden by acting on their desire

while away. There is never a real resolution to their story.

I will also look at the scripts and use the scripts to pick out specific information, which

will make it a little easier to follow the plot and get an idea of the character’s emotions.

Keeping Track of Data

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To keep track of the observations that I make within the media, I am planning on keeping

extensive notes – including quotations – and finding concrete examples of the masculinity and

internalized homophobia within each piece.

I will watch the film 2-3 times, to make sure that I pick up as much information as

possible. With the television show, I will identify episodes of importance and watch them several

times each, to make sure that I have all of the quotations and examples that I need.

Generalizability

This project will not be extremely generalizable, because it is based in specific people

and the specific ways that society influences them. However, I think it is still valuable because,

though you cannot generalize the information, you can use it to find connections in other forms

of media, as well as in real world application.

Ethical Considerations

Benefits

As I pointed out in the Generalizability section of this proposal, I think that this could be

incredibly valuable to people studying correlations between society, gender, and sexuality in

other forms of media, as well as real life applications.

While you cannot say for certain that all of the results will work for every person, you

can use the results as examples of instances in which correlations exist.

I think it is important to see how expectations of gender and sexuality come to influence

the mental health of people living in that society, because it influences both the person and the

people around them.

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Risks

There is no real risk involved because all of my research will be archival and based in

media studies. It would be different if real people were involved, but since that is not the case,

there are not many ethical concerns aside from making sure to credit my sources properly.

Qualifications

I have taken several classes in gender/sexuality, psychology, media studies, and literature

– all of which I feel are beneficial to the research proposed in this study.

I feel as though I am an open-minded person and am interested in expanding the scope of

knowledge in this area of study to help others identify toxic masculinity and internalized

homophobia in the media they consume.

4Conclusion

My study may seem arbitrary to some, but to me and many others the concepts of toxic

masculinity, harmful social hierarchy and internalized homophobia are very worthwhile topics to

study further.

I chose to place my study in popular media because it is more visible, accessible for

people to see examples and ways that they can apply these concepts to their own lives.
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Appendix I

Some of the more specific questions that I seek to answer are:

• What is toxic masculinity?

• How is the idea of toxic masculinity harmful to men?

o Specifically gay men?

• How do power structures and social hierarchy create homophobia?

• How does Alec Lightwood from Shadowhunters display the characteristics of

internalized homophobia?

o How has society shaped the way he has thought of himself as a gay man?

• How do the primary characters in Brokeback Mountain display internalized homophobia?

o In what ways can you see how the society has shaped this homophobia?

• Do Jack and Ennis or Alec Lightwood find positivity and display less self hatred? Why or

Why not?
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Appendix II

For more information, you may get in contact with me via email at kwalter4@ycp.edu or

phone at (717) 332-2153.

I am still in the process of finding an adviser for my project, but I am looking to use it to

fulfill a requirement in the Literary and Textual Studies major at York College of Pennsylvania.
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Appendix III – Glossary

• Internalized homophobia – “Internalized homophobia is defined as the involuntary belief

by lesbians and gay men that the homophobic lies, stereotypes and myths about

them (that are delivered to everyone in a heterosexist / homophobic society) are

true (“Internalized Homophobia”).”

• Masculinity – “male, having the qualities distinctive of or appropriate to a male

(Merriam-Webster).”

o Toxic Masculinity – “the idea that some traditional ideas about how men should

behave are harmful to men, women and society overall (Kaplan).”

• Gender Studies and Queer Theory – “Gender studies and queer theory explore issues of

sexuality, power, and marginalized populations in literature and culture (Brizee).”

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Works Cited

Brizee, Allen, et al. “Gender Studies and Queer Theory (1970s-Present).” Purdue OWL: Literary

Theory and Schools of Criticism, Purdue Univerisity, 29 Aug. 2017,

owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/722/12/.

Brokeback Mountain. Ang Lee. Focus Features, 2006. Film.

“Internalized Homophobia.” Cultural Bridges to Justice, 2011,

www.culturalbridgestojustice.org/programs/homophobia/internalized-homophobia.

Kaplan, Sarah. “Men Who Value Power over Women More Likely to Have Psychological

Troubles.” The Washington Post, 25 Nov. 2016.

Katz, Jonathon Ned, and Paula S. Rothenberg. “The Invention of Heterosexuality.” Race, Class,

and Gender in the United States, Sixth ed., Worth Publishers, 2004, pp. 69–80.

Kimmel, Michael S., and Paula S. Rothenberg. “Masculinity as Homophobia.” Race, Class and

Gender in the United States, Sixth ed., Worth Publishers, 2004, pp. 81–92.

"Masculine." Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 4 Oct. 2017.

Pharr, Suzanne, and Paula S. Rothenberg. “Homophobia as a Weapon of Sexism.” Race, Class,

and Gender in the United States, Sixth ed., Worth Publishers, 2004, pp. 178–187.

Shadowhunters. Created by Ed Decter, Freeform.