Masculinities and Violence: Interruption of hegemonic discourses in an English classroom

Abstract

In this paper I explore ways in which adolescent male students perceive war and violence and related gender discourses. My research is situated in a Year 10 English classroom in a private boys’ school in Perth, Australia. Interviews with students and their teacher provide opportunities to explore perceptions and ideas on issues relating to war and violence. It appears that discourses of violence are closely associated with hegemonic forms of masculinity which specifically exclude females. It also appears that although pedagogical practices do not condone violence, they retain violence in an unquestioned, unchallengeable position in classroom discourses. I found that discourses which challenge war and violence were not always easily accessible to these adolescent male students.