Boyz N the Hood

One kind of masculinities being promoted as positive in the film Boyz in the Hood is Tre’s father, Furious Styles, educates Tre to be a responsible man. He says something like every man can have his children, but only a real man can raise his children. Furious acts as a role model: he works hard to raise Tre and always teaches Tre how to be a real and responsible man. Although Furious knows that they are black people, he teaches Tre to keep away from crime. His words give positive influences on Tre, and when Tre wants to take revenge for Ricky, he quits on the way.
Different from the positive one, there is a “dangerous” masculinity shown in the film. Doughboy, one of Tre’s friends, is promoted as a “typical” African American in South Central Los Angeles. In one scene which Tre, Ricky, Doughboy, and their friends hang out, someone hits Ricky, and they starts arguing. At that moment, Doughboy takes out his gun and shows it to those people in order to scare them away. In addition, after Ricky is being murdered, Doughboy takes revenge on the people who kill Ricky. It is dangerous masculinities, as they use violence to solve problems.
Races play an important role in the depiction of African American masculinities in the film. There are two scenes that police appears in the film. At the first time when Furious called the police that their house has being break by some people. The attitude between the white police and the black police acted differently. At the second time when Tre and Ricky drive, the police stop them. While the white police asks Rocky something, the black police put the gun on Tre’s neck. Therefore, Races play an important role in the depiction of African American masculinities in the film.
Most women in the film are passive agents, as they stay at home and raise children. Tre’s mother would be the outsider-within, as she decides to work outside instead of staying at home to take care Tre.