Mind and Citadel Essay

Masculinity is the properties peculiarity of the male sex. Char playacteristics include strength, toughness, brutality and homohoody more(prenominal) than. All of which ar the characteristics of the boys who be The stronghold in hopes of leaving the educate as men. Susan Faludi, author of The in the buff Citadel, writes about the problems within the prestigious school, the major problem, cosmos sexism. The Citadels problem jakes be almost clearly supported by Malcom Gladwells Power of condition argument from his book the Tipping Point.The militaristic purlieu at the Citadel changes individu everyy cadets character into an organic emotion eithery ruined version of who they once were. These changes turn into violence in the extreme. Perception is the key to m any disagreements within baseball club. This holds true in the post that affects The Citadel. When a girl, Shannon Faulkner, applies to be the first egg-producing(prenominal) admitted to the Cadet Corps. She at tempts to mess with the strategy by leaving out her gender. The recognition at the Citadel is that women would non be a good fit in the school. Tradition has a major sidetrack with this.It is apparent that Shannons entrance to the Citadel has be to become a threat to the Citadel community since it is an all-male institution, intended to hold real men. The Citadel has al federal agencys been an all boy school as except of course, they werent really boys at all. These were college men (Faludi 78). Whos to posit how eer that they are in fact men? What defines a man? Within the society a man is expected to think, act and make love in a masculine manner. Showing emotions or sensitivity is considered tabu among the males. In the Citadel a man bathroom act in a manner in which the threat of breaking the public norms is non eminent.The way of life in the Citadel do it almost insuffer adequate to live for a woman. Society as a whole byword the Citadel as an established all male school and they were situated to keep it that way. However, this perception is ground on what is seen from an outside perspective. Gladwell defines this aspect of perception of character as the FAE, Fundamental Attri barelyion Error. Gladwell writes, The mistake we make in thinking of character as something unified and all-encompassing is very alike(p) to a kind of blind spot in the way we puzzle out information (162).If character is something unified, then everyone must be classified as one in the same. The mistake the Citadel is making is having their all boy school rule become a blind spot for the forthcoming. The future that lies ahead can never be, if the Citadel sticks to their tradition. While tradition is what made the school so prestigious, a change in time may also need a change in tradition. A women can just as easily be one of the guys as any other guy. While men have defining characteristics that make them come along different from women, there are many attri unl esses, such as genius that isnt so distinctive between certain mountain.The Citadel being filled with men who everyone knew would resist the idea of a women being admitted to the school, needed someone who could fit in. Robert Patterson, the Citadel attorney who had previously represented V. M. I. , asked Astin, his congressman full of unflattering insinuation about the kind of woman he imagined her to be. Astin I suppose the same as the kind of men who expect to go there. Patterson Would it be a woman that would not be all that different from men? Astin Yes. (Faludi 95).This quick interrogation of Alexander Astin explains that men and women are not different after all. While Patterson thought he undercoat the winning point to his case, he actually put himself and the Citadel in a hole. Women, who would apply to The Citadel, feel that they have the ability to compete with the exist me inside. Everyone knew how the Citadel was run. It was filled with aggressive men under mili tary rules. notwithstanding Shannon Faulkner still applied.Sharron Faulkner was the type of women that Patterson perceive would be able to attend the Citadel. You could identify her memory that as a small child she preferred compete outside with the boys to playing with certain girls whom she deemed too prissy (Faludi 96). Shannon was always, one of the boys. Her circumstance and general attitude is extremely similar to anyone of the men at the Citadel. counterbalance with this, the Citadel is still against the idea. The psychologist Walter Mischel argues that the human mind has a kind of cut valve that creates and maintains the perception of continuity notwithstanding in the face of perpetual observe changes in actual behavior (Gladwell 162).The way our mind works, it is hard for people to have multiple views on something. In the case of the Citadel, society perceived the school as a strict all boy school that is not suitable for any women. Society also perceived Shannon a s just a woman. Just isnt putting down that aspect, but that is all that society saw her as. So if the Citadel is looked at and know as an all boys militaristic school that women would never be able to step foot into as a student and Shannon was looked at as just a woman then in no way shape or form would she ever be allowed to attend that school.Thats the problem with our society. We base our judgment on what we see, not on what we know. whatsoever women who is willing to put herself through that type of embarrassment and trouble and so far death threats just to get into a school, in my mind is more of a man than any of those kids in the Citadel. Society is filled with stereotypes and that is what everyone is establish off of. You, the next guy and me will always be looked at by society as part of a stereotype. This is the problem with the Citadel, and society in general.Perception is key in all events that occur at the Citadel. Perception plays a strong role in the Power of Cont ext as wells as sexism at the Citadel. The focus on environs is the main aspect of the Power of Context. It says the people are acutely cranky to their environment (Gladwell 159). People are therefore prompted to do certain things based on their perception of their environment.This is exactly what was occurring at the Citadel. The cadets were prompted to react physically towards each other based on what their perception of a man was. Knobs told me that they were pressure to run through the showers while the upperclassman gaurds knocked the soap out of their hands and, when the knobs leaned all over to retrieve it the upperclassman would unzip their pants and yell, Dont pick it up, wear upont pick it up Well use you like we used those girls (Faludi 105). The Citadel continually expresses the idea of being a man. However, the upperclassman takes advantage of this and confuses strength of a man with violence. These knobs that come into the university as boys, are turning into emo tionally scrawny individuals.They lack the understanding of a real man. As well as what it means to be in a relationship a part from other men. Women, whether they believe so or not, are a prominent importance to the future of the Citadel. The reality of the Citadel, however, is that its producing less men and more homosexuals. This may in fact be a direct chair of no women in the vicinity. When a Citadel attorney asked Doucet why female cadets would pose a problem on the campus, the only issue he raised was the humiliation that cadets feel if women observe the cadets on-campus interactions (Faludi 104).Humiliation may be one of the strongest emotions that can alter ones character forever. However, if women were allowed in the school than humiliation would not be an issue because the men would change their ways to occupy women. Women posed no actual threat to the school, except the embarrassment of the cadets. Is that even a legitimate reason to prevent a girl of acquire an ed ucation? Shannon was faced with more humiliation and threats than the boys in the school could ever imagine. Then, as they turned back to the house, they saw that across the white porch columns and along the siding of the house, the words, Bitch, Dyke, Whore, and Lesbo (Faludi 94). The Citadel Cadets were criticizing Shannon Faulkner because she wishinged to be accredited. It just so happens that all the terms they used all categorized her as a man. Shannon could speak, act and dress like a man but no point what she will never be able to be fully accepted because in their minds only a man a true man is suited for the school. The controversy at the Citadel is a sad but eye opening example of how our society is.Society puts them in a mindset where only one way is the right way. If society can open up their brains to more opportunities than a lot of problems would be alleviated. Malcom Gladwell poses the reason of the Citadels problems with the idea of the Power of Context. There i s so much that goes on in a post that it should never be that easy to give an answer. The situation at the Citadel is un-fair and wrong. Women are just as smart and consequential as men and should have the same rules. But in that argument, if you want to be treated the same, you cant complain.