Race, Class, and Masculinities in a South African Primary School

Abstract

Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork, this article examines how 8–9-year-old South African boys construct and negotiate heterosexual masculinities in the primary school. Situated within a racially diverse schooling context comprised of a mixed class of middle and low income Indian and Black boys, we offer insights into how race and class structures intersect with masculinities to create hierarchies of power as boys navigate the pressures of compulsory heterosexuality. Boys’ investment in the male provider role and in aspiring to material shows of wealth—such as wearing expensive clothing—as key ways to engender heterosexual relationships, was also nuanced by race and class. While such practices defined boys’ masculinities, failure to conform to normative masculine behaviour subjected them to homophobic teasing thus pointing to the regulatory mechanisms through which heterosexual masculinity was policed. The study contributes to the growing field of young masculinities in South Africa as we consider its local manifestations and gendered performances.