Masculinity in the Russian Mafia - 1677 Words

Eastern Promises challenges the view of hegemonic masculinity as a a static, unified concept. By analyzing the behaviors of members of the Russian mafia, vory y zakone (thieves in law), particularly of Kirill and Nikolai, this paper will illustrate how masculinities are constructed, performed and reaffirmed in the context of the Russian mafia vory y zakone. The paper will begin by describing the main tends of masculinities theory, proposing that vory y zakone are creating oppositional masculinity. Keeping this context in mind, it will be illustrated how men in vory y zakone are constructing and performing masculinity through degradation of women more specifically sexual and verbal abuse, through the use of violence and†¦show more content†¦This can also be seen in the sex position that Nikolai choses. The sex position known as doggy style is often seen as symbolically impersonal and demeaning, as the position involves the women to be on her knees while the men takes full c harge with little possibility for eye contact. Furthermore, Nikolai shows no sign of affection nor engages in conversation with the girl in Kirill’s presence. Kirill watching Nikoai have sex with the girl illustrates how degradation of women serves as performance of reaffirming masculinity for other men. Gang rape serves as a way for men enact masculinity and power in relation to women but also to other men (Bourgois 1996, pg. 423). One particular reference to gang rape is when Kirill was expected to rape Anna, the author of the diary. When he could not rape her, his father Siymon raped her in front of Kirill, thus displaying and reaffirming his masculinity to his son, who failed to do so. Masculinity can also be created through verbal degradation of women. Kirill and Nikoai constantly degrade women verbally during their conversations, making comments such as that women should be tamed like a horse and referring to women as â€Å"bitches†. They therefore imply the su bordinate status of women and imply that they need to be controlled. Heteronormativity in the mafia One of the main words heard often throughout the movie is the term â€Å"queer†. Being queer orShow MoreRelatedBreaking Bad And Orange Is The New Black3602 Words   |  15 Pagesthe mainstream industry. Also by critically breaking down character roles, scenes, and themes of both TV series, we can understand how influenced our social understandings and perspectives are. Lastly, by explicitly focusing on the themes of sex, masculinity and femininity, which all formulate the concept of gender as well as exploring the depiction of criminality, this paper will critique how BB and OITNB approach diversity. A contrast between the two series will also be made by evaluating secondaryRead MoreStarbucks to Russia5283 Words   |  22 Pagesstrategic location, providing the speedy and effective access to the countries of the CIS, the large number of population and increasing in consume rs purchasing power, Russian market is a profitable area that should not be overlooked at all. Market Research According to the research from Euromonitor International (October, 2005), Russian coffee market is dominated by an instant coffee with a significant 90% share of the market in value terms. The fresh coffee market is still in the introductory phaseRead More Chechnya and its People Essay5500 Words   |  22 PagesChechnya and its People The ongoing civil war between the semi-autonomous republic of Chechnya and Russia has dramatically caught the attention of the world – a world that perceives the conflict primarily through the distorted lens of Russian propaganda, and the contradicting images of Chechen suffering on the independent media. If the West seems impartial or even indifferent to the Chechen conflict, it is because there is little understanding of this people, of their struggle, or of the vastRead MoreRepresentation Of The Working Class2386 Words   |  10 Pageshostile world’ (Celli 2001: 12), which left them isolated from society. It seems as if the world is conspiring against Antonio in Ladri di Biciclette, insofar as every faction of society treats him with disdain, including the party, Church, police, and Mafia. Therefore, it follows that the Italian state is the main culprit for the creation of working-class isolation (Celli 2001: 12). Antonio battles with officials from the sate employm ent office in order to find work. During the scene, in which AntonioRead MoreProject Mgmt296381 Words   |  1186 Pagesneeded (imagine a large battery big enough to store enough electricity for a large city). What impact would this have on the wind and solar industries— consolidation, price wars? How will your business model change? Assume you are a Saudi Arabian or Russian oil company. One scenario is demand for oil dries up and drops to 5 percent of today’s demand. Should these companies begin to slowly invest in projects to develop and become experts in alternative energy sources? Another example: Around 1990 IBM