The Measure of a Man: Young Male, Interpersonal Violence and Construction of Masculinities An Ethnographic Study from Lima, Peru

Abstract

Men are the main perpetrators and victims of violence worldwide. Previous studies show that violent behaviour is related –to ideas of masculinity. However research on “gender-based violence” typically focuses on violence between men and women, paying less attention to acts of violence between men. To address this research gap I conducted a cross-sectional, ethnographic study in an urban-deprived area of Lima, Peru. The study aims to understand the interrelationships between interpersonal violence and the construction of masculinities among young men living in a context of structural and symbolic violence, stigma and exclusion. I examine the interaction of structural and individual-level factors in the reproduction of violence by placing the “construction of masculinities” approach at the centre of the analysis. In this thesis I propose that violence between men is a form of gender-based violence that offers young men a short cut to achieving masculinity mandates prevalent in their milieu, in a context that limits their potential to “become men” in non-violent ways. The relationship between men’s violence and masculinity is not a direct one. Violence does not equal masculinity, instead it allows these young men to gain status within the community, to earn a living, to protect their alliances and women, to demonstrate power and exert control over others: all characteristics associated with masculinity. Men in this setting choose violence, and violence is one of the strategies that they use to perpetuate masculine hegemony. This study highlights the importance of the social setting in which masculinities are performed, the homosocial nature of these performances and the relevance of the male body in the enactment of the social practices through which masculinities are constructed. In the final part of the thesis, I provide recommendations for interventions in the field of young men’s violence, and make suggestions for future research.