Examples Of Masculinity In Poaaching
Poaching Wildlife as a Demonstration of Masculinity
People engage in poaching wildlife in order to demonstrate their masculinity to others. In this essay I will explain how there is a tie between animal abuse and poaching wildlife and how that connection helps us to better understand why people poach. When poaching or hunting an animal many people focus on the size of the animal, or body parts like the amount of horns an animal has, to determine the success of the poacher or hunter. The more prestigious an animal is, the more prestigious the kill seems. Although most of us look down on poaching, the masculinity that poachers feel is what keeps them committed to poaching wildlife. First we must look at animal abuse and define masculinity in the cases of animal abuse. “It has been suggested that animal abuse may be a mechanism for demonstrating one’s masculinity since it often exemplifies such “masculine” traits as aggression, domination, and the suppression of feeling” (Agnew, 83). Using this definition of masculinity it is immediately apparent that there is a link …show more content…
First, it legally inscribed a hierarchical distinction between the more highly prized trophy-class animals and their somewhat less valued, normal-sized brethren” (Granfield and Colomy, 141). When Samson’s Law was passed due to a man poaching a local celebrity elk in Estes Park, it differentiated certain animals from one another and the consequences in the killing of them. An animal that is less valued, for example a duck, isn’t that rare to kill and therefore isn’t as impressive of a kill. If a person poaches the largest elk in Estes Park, Colorado, they are going to receive a lot of attention, and that is exactly what happened in the case of Samson. Again, the domination being expressed when killing an animal of that size is large, and thus leaves the poacher with a sense of
People engage in poaching wildlife in order to demonstrate their masculinity to others. In this essay I will explain how there is a tie between animal abuse and poaching wildlife and how that connection helps us to better understand why people poach. When poaching or hunting an animal many people focus on the size of the animal, or body parts like the amount of horns an animal has, to determine the success of the poacher or hunter. The more prestigious an animal is, the more prestigious the kill seems. Although most of us look down on poaching, the masculinity that poachers feel is what keeps them committed to poaching wildlife. First we must look at animal abuse and define masculinity in the cases of animal abuse. “It has been suggested that animal abuse may be a mechanism for demonstrating one’s masculinity since it often exemplifies such “masculine” traits as aggression, domination, and the suppression of feeling” (Agnew, 83). Using this definition of masculinity it is immediately apparent that there is a link …show more content…
First, it legally inscribed a hierarchical distinction between the more highly prized trophy-class animals and their somewhat less valued, normal-sized brethren” (Granfield and Colomy, 141). When Samson’s Law was passed due to a man poaching a local celebrity elk in Estes Park, it differentiated certain animals from one another and the consequences in the killing of them. An animal that is less valued, for example a duck, isn’t that rare to kill and therefore isn’t as impressive of a kill. If a person poaches the largest elk in Estes Park, Colorado, they are going to receive a lot of attention, and that is exactly what happened in the case of Samson. Again, the domination being expressed when killing an animal of that size is large, and thus leaves the poacher with a sense of