“Consider Your Man Card Reissued”

• In Event: Theorizing Gun Violence: School Shootings, Politics, and Curriculum

Abstract

Objectives

In Rampage, Katherine Newman (2005) identifies five necessary conditions for school shootings. One is that the shooter perceives himself to be marginalized within a social setting that matters deeply to him. Two features of this condition are noteworthy: first, that the marginalization is subjectively felt, rather than objectively identifiable (and may therefore not be bullying), and second, that the marginalization is perceived as caused by socially significant peers, within an important social arena. As such, this perceived marginalization seems a classic instance of dishonor. Honor has been little discussed by modern philosophers (Appiah, 2011), but this paper contends that a thorough understanding of “perceived marginalization” and the gun violence it supports depends upon consideration of honor as an ethical framework that continues to guide human action. This paper’s objective is to undertake such a consideration.

Theoretical approach/Mode of Inquiry
Like the other authors in this symposium, my approach is theoretical/philosophical. This paper draws on critical gender theory, especially critical masculinity theory, e.g. the work of R.W. Connell and others who have furthered Connell’s insights into the construction of masculinities as plural and relational. In treating the “man card” as in constant need of “reissuance,” it also invokes Judith Butler’s notion of performativity.

Evidence and Results
Although honor is not an exclusively masculine virtue (Rich, 1995), it helps forge toxic connections between masculinity and violence – as seen in the notorious ad for Bushmaster rifles: “Consider Your Man Card Reissued.” The ad’s logic rests on the implicit assumption that masculinity requires certification by others, that it is unstable and under threat, and that domination of other human beings is the means to claiming masculine status. Such logic is hardly new, and older texts offer thoughtful accounts of what it means to live by such logic. This paper revisits Homer’s Iliad, which treats honor as an admirable but volatile virtue, treating this classic text as a moral curriculum for (ancient) young men. Inasmuch as Sandy Hook suggests that “man cards” really do need to be reissued, in a radically different guise, the Iliad’s illumination of honor provides foundations for thinking about how schools might contribute to such a project.

Scholarly Significance
This paper addresses an aspect of masculinity, its affiliation with ideals of honor, that is widely acknowledged but has received little philosophical investigation of late. It promises to deepen understanding of this important but undertreated topic.

Author

• Amy B. Shuffelton, Loyola University Chicago