Date of Award

Spring 5-11-2019

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science (BS)

Department

Women's and Gender Studies

College

Honors College

First Advisor

Ina Seethaler

Abstract/Description

Locker room talk refers to the degrading and sexist narrative about women that is exhibited by some heterosexual males of all ages. The instance of locker room talk is not just confined to actual locker rooms, but invades our politics, educational institutions, and service industries. By researching the origins of how boys are socialized in Western culture, I have seen a correlation between engaging in locker room talk and perpetration of sexual violence. In my extensive analysis, I pieced together how socialization of boys can turn into a hegemonic masculine gender identity which in turn predisposes men to engage in locker room talk that increases their probability of inflicting sexual violence upon women. I searched for supplemental research to support my claims about how toxic masculinity, and locker room talk specifically, can indirectly put women in danger through dehumanizing speech and objectification. This research is important because it could potentially give insight to people into how detrimental words truly can be. This research could be used to help change the overall narrative of what it means to be a man.

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