Mario wrote:
"Unfortunately, any analysis of such roles (essentially,
manufactured gender, including modern unisex) must be
local."
Okay, I'll bite: Why "unfortunately"? I think it's the
nonuniversal nature of it that makes it fascinating (and
proves it's culturally constructed).
Bringing it back to the lit, though, some good books could
probably be written about a man (or woman) from one area or
age transporting his (or her) gender roles into an area with
different traditions. And I'm not talking about an SF
version, but hardboiled. It could be used for parody, say a
'50s Mike Hammer type PI set in a more contemporary feminist
friendly setting, which could lead to all sorts of PC vs.
nonPC clashes. Or a straight story where a guy from one place
whose behavior is an insult in another context, who never
quite figures out how and why he's pissing everyone off. Have
there been noir or hardboiled stories based on the idea of
clashing ideals of masculinity?
Mark
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