Sociology 110
Dr. Bruce Day
December 14, 2017
Symbolic Annihilation Symbolic Annihilation is the absence of representation of a group of people based on their race, gender, sexual minorities and means of maintaining of social inequality. Symbolic Annihilation promotes stereotypes and denies specific identities. It focuses on race and discrimination of white and black people. Also, it focuses on what is happening in the media and how women see themselves which leads to self-hater because they are not like the women in the media; It influences gender roles and perception in society.
Race is a big issue in society especially when it deals with whites and blacks. Symbolic Annihilation of race lends itself quite to be a stand …show more content…
Symbolic Annihilation promotes stereotypes and denies specific identities. In the Mask You Live In, Boys were judged if they expressed their feeling because people continued to think that men cannot cry because it is not manly. Everyone has feelings and emotion that they want to express it. Which he could not because he was a man, so he is was not supposed to do cry, and he had to hide it so people could look at him as a man. Even though everyone has an interest that they would like to do, he could not because he was a man, so he had to play or do something that he did not like or was interested in because that is what men do. There was a scene in the documentary The Mask You Live in which focused on how football is for boys only and sports are more socially acceptable in the society. There was a boy who wanted to participate in a play, but he did not because he was afraid of how his peers would view him. Not being involved in sports, being emotional, crying, and being sensitive in our society shows that these guys are not men. Being a man should not be trying to hide emotions or doing something that is not acceptable just for society to accept you or to be someone you are not. Symbolic annihilation is based on gender and how boys are different and have a different stereotype role that they must follow in society. Gender inequality is tied to other inequalities such as race, class, and sexuality to sort women and men