Arms and the man

In many Western societies, the male is seen as powerful, sometimes all-powerful, and is defined by his ability to wield power. In many cases, the power that is wielded is violent. Violence has been seen as a particularly male attribute and the usually legitimated violence offered by the soldier has often meant that soldiers have been represented as ideals of manhood. In modern Western society the role of the soldier has been somewhat marginalized, but violence has remained important in asserting masculinity in both public and private spheres, and a linkage between the male capacity for violence and capability of exercising other forms of social power is common. Women’s access to social power, either violent or non-violent, has often been systematically restricted and women who have come to exercise any kind of social power have been seen as masculinized. ¹ In British society and in many other Western societies, femininity has been associated with a lack of power, either physical or social, or at least an avoidance of obvious manipulation of power and a deference to male authority. Men, conversely, have been seen as temperamentally and physically suited to wield power.