Negotiating the Male Body: Men, Masculinity, and Cultural Ideals

Abstract

In an attempt to understand the relationship between the body and masculinity, this paper explores the extent to which body image has significance in men's lives. I begin by considering the cultural ideal of the male body as conceived within the context of popular culture. Citing both cultural examples and empirical evidence, I argue that the muscular body type represents the dominant cultural ideal. I then explain how the present paper builds on prior research on the male body image. My argument here is that prior research has neglected to study the meaning of body image from the perspective of men's everyday lives and therefore provides an incomplete assessment of men's views of body image. In response, this paper draws from interview data compiled from a larger study, illustrating the different ways men relate to cultural ideals of male bodies, how men adjust to the demands of ideals, and how men normalize their own bodily condition. This paper suggests that men develop a number of complex strategies to negotiate the meaning of their bodies in view of cultural ideals of male physiques.