Mind and Citadel Essay

Masculinity is the properties characteristic of the male sex. Characteristics include strength, toughness, brutality and many more. All of which are the characteristics of the boys who attended The Citadel in hopes of leaving the school as men. Susan Faludi, author of The Naked Citadel, writes about the problems within the prestigious school, the major problem, being sexism. The Citadel’s problem can be almost clearly supported by Malcom Gladwell’s Power of Context argument from his book the Tipping Point. The militaristic environment at the Citadel changes each cadet’s character into an extreme emotionally ruined version of who they once were. These changes turn into violence in the extreme. Perception is the key to many disagreements within society. This holds true in the situation that affects The Citadel. When a girl, Shannon Faulkner, applies to be the first female admitted to the Cadet Corps. She attempts to mess with the system by leaving out her gender. The perception at the Citadel is that women would not be a good fit in the school. Tradition has a major part with this. It is apparent that Shannon’s entrance to the Citadel has proven to become a threat to the Citadel community since it is an all-male institution, intended to train real men. The Citadel has always been an all boy school as â€Å"except of course, they weren’t really boys at all. These were college men† (Faludi 78). Who’s to say however that they are in fact men? What defines a man? Within the society a man is expected to think, act and live in a masculine manner. Showing emotions or sensitivity is considered taboo among the males. In the Citadel a man can act in a manner in which the threat of breaking the public norms is not eminent. The way of life in the Citadel made it almost impossible to live for a woman. Society as a whole saw the Citadel as an established all male school and they were determined to keep it that way. However, this perception is based on what is seen from an outside perspective. Gladwell defines this aspect of perception of character as the FAE, Fundamental Attribution Error. Gladwell writes, â€Å"The mistake we make in thinking of character as something unified and all-encompassing is very similar to a kind of blind spot in the way we process information† (162). If character is something unified, then everyone must be classified as one in the same. The mistake the Citadel is making is having their all boy school rule become a blind spot for the future. The future that lies ahead can never be, if the Citadel sticks to their tradition. While tradition is what made the school so prestigious, a change in time may also need a change in tradition. A women can just as easily â€Å"be one of the guys† as any other guy. While men have defining characteristics that make them appear different from women, there are many attributes, such as personality that isn’t so distinctive between certain people. The Citadel being filled with men who everyone knew would resist the idea of a women being admitted to the school, needed someone who could â€Å"fit† in. â€Å"Robert Patterson, the Citadel attorney who had previously represented V. M. I. , asked Astin, his voice full of unflattering insinuation about the kind of woman he imagined her to be. Astin: I suppose the same as the kind of men who want to go there. Patterson: Would it be a woman that would not be all that different from men? Astin: Yes. † (Faludi 95). This quick interrogation of Alexander Astin explains that men and women are not different after all. While Patterson thought he found the winning point to his case, he actually put himself and the Citadel in a hole. Women, who would apply to The Citadel, feel that they have the ability to compete with the existing me inside. Everyone knew how the Citadel was run. It was filled with aggressive men under military rules. But Shannon Faulkner still applied. Sharron Faulkner was the type of women that Patterson perceived would be able to attend the Citadel. You could cite her memory that as a small child she preferred playing outside with the boys to playing with certain girls whom she deemed â€Å"too prissy†Ã¢â‚¬  (Faludi 96). Shannon was always, â€Å"one of the boys†. Her background and general attitude is extremely similar to anyone of the â€Å"men† at the Citadel. Even with this, the Citadel is still against the idea. â€Å"The psychologist Walter Mischel argues that the human mind has a kind of â€Å"reducing valve† that â€Å"creates and maintains the perception of continuity even in the face of perpetual observed changes in actual behavior† (Gladwell 162). The way our mind works, it is hard for people to have multiple views on something. In the case of the Citadel, society perceived the school as a strict all boy school that is not suitable for any women. Society also perceived Shannon as just a woman. â€Å"Just† isn’t putting down that aspect, but that is all that society saw her as. So if the Citadel is looked at and known as an all boys militaristic school that women would never be able to step foot into as a student and Shannon was looked at as just a woman then in no way shape or form would she ever be allowed to attend that school. That’s the problem with our society. We base our judgment on what we see, not on what we know. Any women who is willing to put herself through that type of embarrassment and trouble and even death threats just to get into a school, in my mind is more of a man than any of those kids in the Citadel. Society is filled with stereotypes and that is what everyone is based off of. You, the next guy and me will always be looked at by society as part of a stereotype. This is the problem with the Citadel, and society in general. Perception is key in all events that occur at the Citadel. Perception plays a strong role in the Power of Context as wells as sexism at the Citadel. The focus on environment is the main aspect of the Power of Context. It says the people are â€Å"acutely sensitive to their environment† (Gladwell 159). People are therefore prompted to do certain things based on their perception of their environment. This is exactly what was occurring at the Citadel. The cadets were prompted to react physically towards each other based on what their perception of a man was. Knobs told me that they were forced to run through the showers while the upperclassman â€Å"gaurds† knocked the soap out of their hands and, when the knobs leaned over to retrieve it the upperclassman would unzip their pants and yell, â€Å"Don’t pick it up, don’t pick it up! We’ll use you like we used those girls! † (Faludi 105). The Citadel continually expresses the idea of being a man. However, the upperclassman takes advantage of this and confuses strength of a man with violence. These knobs that come into the university as boys, are turning into emotionally stunted individuals. They lack the understanding of a real man. As well as what it means to be in a relationship a part from other men. Women, whether they believe so or not, are a great importance to the future of the Citadel. The reality of the Citadel, however, is that it’s producing less â€Å"men† and more homosexuals. This may in fact be a direct result of no women in the vicinity. â€Å"When a Citadel attorney asked Doucet why female cadets would pose a problem on the campus, the only issue he raised was the humiliation that cadets feel if women observe the cadets’ on-campus interactions† (Faludi 104). Humiliation may be one of the strongest emotions that can alter ones character forever. However, if women were allowed in the school than humiliation would not be an issue because the men would change their ways to please women. Women posed no actual threat to the school, except the embarrassment of the cadets. Is that even a legitimate reason to prevent a girl of getting an education? Shannon was faced with more humiliation and threats than the boys in the school could ever imagine. Then, as they turned back to the house, they saw that across the white porch columns and along the siding of the house, the words, â€Å"Bitch,† â€Å"Dyke,† â€Å"Whore,† and â€Å"Lesbo† (Faludi 94). The Citadel Cadets were criticizing Shannon Faulkner because she wanted to be accepted. It just so happens that all the terms they used all categorized her as a man. Shannon could speak, act and dress like a man but no matter what she will never be able to be fully accepted beca use in their minds only a man a true man is suited for the school. The controversy at the Citadel is a sad but eye opening example of how our society is. Society puts them in a mindset where only one way is the right way. If society can open up their brains to more opportunities than a lot of problems would be alleviated. Malcom Gladwell poses the reasoning of the Citadels problems with the idea of the Power of Context. There is so much that goes on in a situation that it should never be that easy to give an answer. The situation at the Citadel is un-fair and wrong. Women are just as smart and important as men and should have the same rules. But in that argument, if you want to be treated the same, you can’t complain.