Reconstructing Gender at University: Men as victims

Abstract

The present study aims to contribute to recent developments in feminist and social constructionist work in the arena of masculinities in higher education by examining the talk within three all-male psychology student discussion groups. One of the authors facilitated the sessions by maintaining a broad focus on gender-related issues and the conversations were subsequently transcribed and subjected to a discourse analysis. The men's talk, although complex and often contradictory, functioned largely to present contemporary gender relations as empowering for women and disempowering for men. To this end, the main discursive strategies are highlighted and ideological import of the men's talk is discussed. In particular, it is argued that such talk continues to reproduce inequality through stereotypical presentations of men and women (even when those very discourses are criticised by the men) and precludes change of the present status quo through claims that women are already in a favourable position in terms of education and employment.