Heteromasculinities: Sexual Experiences and Transition to Adulthood among Young Moroccan Men in Europe

Abstract

The aim of this article is to describe how masculinities among a group of young Moroccan men in Europe are produced by the hegemonic power of heteronormativity. This article is based on the findings of research involving a group of thirty-five Muslim migrant men in Italy and France. The aim of the research was to analyze the impact of heterosexual scenarios in shaping the experiences of these young men during their transition to adulthood abroad. First, this article will show how, during youth, different profiles of premarital masculinity are constructed in relation to the various heterosexual scripts described by these men. Our analysis illustrates how intercultural and intracultural dimensions define masculinities in social interactions by reproducing the hegemony of the heteronormative scenario. Then, we will show that the interviewees also give particular importance to the moment of marriage when they want to display an “adult masculinity” and to recover their “moral integrity” after premarital, illicit, and sexual experiences. By focusing on family relations and intra- and interethnic dynamics in the migrant milieu, we will reveal how these different dimensions play a decisive role in producing sexual scripts and consequently in gender identification. This will lead us to discuss the role of heteronormative hegemonic models of masculinity references in the accounts of the interviewees, showing how sexuality is a field where the cultural belongings of these young men are defined and redefined during their transition to adulthood in a foreign country.