Currently diving into research slides for my project on meat and masculinity. its interesting to revisit, reminding me of its vast implications and how important it is to constantly re-evaluate—not just how these ideas affect us but how we might unknowingly perpetuate systems that reinforce the status quo.
Two key pieces of research stood out to me, and I thought I’d share them:
Freud on Gender and Systems - Freud often appears in discussions about gender, and his ideas help frame the systemic nature of masculinity and femininity. These aren’t traits confined to men or women—they’re societal constructs we all navigate and embody in nuanced ways depending on the context. Recognizing this helps us see that these issues aren’t individual but structural, affecting everyone.
Ursula K. Le Guin’s Carrier Bag Theory For balance, and her book 'Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction'. She critiques the traditional “hunter-hero” narrative of human origins, which centers on the spear and violence. Instead, Le Guin highlights gatherers and caregivers as essential to humanity’s survival. This reframe reveals how early societies relied on everyone—regardless of gender—taking on both masculine and feminine roles to thrive.
Le Guin’s insights feel especially relevant when we consider modern attitudes like, “I’ll eat whatever I want because I could kill it.” The truth is, most of us no longer kill what we eat, yet cultural narratives around meat, power, and masculinity haven’t caught up. Reframing these stories and questioning our roles within them is vital to moving forward.
This research has inspired me to keep exploring how design and storytelling can challenge societal norms and offer new perspectives.