Male Identity Research Articles

Rethinking of masculinities: an evolving perspective

The focus of this research is on the evolution of male identity and cultural conceptions of masculinity. Traditional notions of masculinity have often been overly narrow, contributing to the maintenance of harmful stereotypes and assumptions. But a more inclusive, diverse, and caring perspective on gender is leading to a rethinking of what it means to be masculine. This essay investigates the complexities of masculinity, the pernicious impacts of rigid gender norms, and the ways in which our culture may be altered to promote healthier, more authentic expressions of gender. The intricate web of gender identities, violent experiences, and emotional restraint. This new perspective furthers gender equality, the acceptance of many identities, and the removal of harmful stereotypes that hold men and society back from reaching their full potential. By analyzing the rethinking of masculinity in this context, this article hopes to encourage a more nuanced and empathic perspective of masculinity. We can help men reach their full potential as people and as contributors to society if we challenge and expand our ideas of masculinity. This process of reassessing masculinities is also open to female participation. This movement is representative of a broader cultural trend that challenges traditional notions of masculinity and the worldviews of its members. By working to eradicate gender norms and adopting a more open perspective on gender, we can create a more equitable society that values and celebrates a wide range of masculinities while eliminating harmful power dynamics.

Exploring Human-Centric Attributes of Smartphone Set and Their Influence on Brand Advocacy by the Customers: Testing the Moderating Role of Gender Identity

This paper investigates the impacts of human-centric brand attributes and their associated dimensions on advocacy by the consumers. This study also tests the moderating role of gender identity of the consumers on the above stated issue. The paper adopted a mixed mode approach where at first a primary list of attributes was purified based on the qualitative comments of academics and industry experts. Later on, authors collected 861 primary quantitative data from young consumers of a developing country and analyzed those through structural equation modeling. This study offers a 29-attribute eight-dimensional brand personality and WOM model for smartphone brands. Results revealed that quick problem solver, empathetic, professionalism, trustworthy, and competent are the preferred human-centric attributes among the young customers while choosing a smartphone brand. Results also found that gender identity plays a significantly differentiating role while spreading positive WOM for a smartphone brand. Young users with masculine identity emphasize on sociability and intellectuality dimensions and their associated human-attributes while promoting positive WOM regarding the smartphone brand. Users with feminine traits on the other hand share more about emotionality and physicality aspects of the brand during advocacy.

Masculinity Symbols on Skincare Everwhite Advertisement

The South Korean entertainment industry’s popularity and global reach have prompted private companies to place advertise their products to international viewers. South Korean celebrities have also been found to form positively perceived beauty standards, consequently serving as an antecedent of beauty product awareness and perceived beauty product quality among international audiences. This article aims to unveil how male identities are constructed in masculinity symbols displayed in skincare product ads. This research examines Everwhite skincare ads as Indonesian products with South Korean actors as brand ambassadors. Findings reveal that these ads still rely on stereotypical constructs and traditional discourses of what it takes to be a man. Implications for advertising attitudes towards masculinity were found to be beauty standards. For example, men are invited to consume grooming products but are reminded to do it the men’s way. Men are also reminded of their sexual power to seduce and attract women with the aid of the product.

Societal Hegemony and the Evolution of Masculinity in Francis Selormey’s The Narrow Path and Asare Konadu’s A Woman in Her Prime

Abstract Francis Selormey’s The Narrow Path and Asare Konadu’s A Woman in Her Prime are two novels that add to the rich Ghanaian literary tradition through their exploration of human relationships and the roles men play in these relationships. Despite gaining a cult readership, these texts have largely been ignored by scholars. This paper examines the men in these texts to reveal the images of masculinities presented and show whether or not they follow society’s hegemonic model or create their own paths. This paper argues that the societies presented by these novels do not allow for a rejection of hegemony, and the male characters in these novels unknowingly follow society’s ideal masculine values. By using the theory of masculinities as a character study tool, the differences in the gender performance of the male characters in the pre-colonial and colonial eras are made clear and control is established as an ideology of the colonial era.

The role of surrounding factors in positioning identities: liminality of Dorian Gray in Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray

Masculinity theory, which has been executing its studies as a distinct branch of interest since 1980s, primarily aims to draw attention to the multiplicity of masculinities to undermine the misconception that there is a single, universal, and everlasting concept of masculinity (Sancar, 2009, p. 26), and it also tries to exhibit the fact that masculine identities are always subject to change in relation to surrounding factors such as ideology and historical elements. Similarly, literary masculinity studies aim to foreground the presence of this multiplicity and variety in literary texts, as well as depicting and pointing out the portrayal of non-hegemonic masculine identities who have the potential of constituting alternatives to the hegemonic ones. In accordance with this target, this study aims to investigate Oscar Wilde’s 1890 novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, by concentrating on the fluid identity of its male protagonist with the purpose of exhibiting the fact that even the hegemonic masculinities are subject to change in different contexts. Embodying an alternative masculine identity which is in great contrast with the expectations of hegemonic gender ideology concerning masculinity ideals on one hand, Dorian becomes a hegemonic masculinity model in his own context on the other, which demonstrates the fact that there is not a single and universal type of masculinity, but rather “masculinities” even in the same time interval, culture, and society, and that identities are context-bounded, continuously taking new shapes in relation to surrounding factors.

Gender differences in perceiving the portion size of meat when being observed.

Previous research has shown that being observed can influence people's behaviors, including their eating habits. In this study, we predicted that men and women would exhibit different reactions to the perception of portion size of meat when being observed. By utilizing a camera to create a sense of being observed during the act of eating meat, we revealed that men in the observed condition reported perceiving the portion size of the meat they ate to be smaller and the eating amount to be less than was reported by those in the non-observed condition. However, women did not show any differences in their perceptions of the portion size of the meat they ate. These findings demonstrate that gender identity plays a role in how people perceive the meat they eat when they are aware of being observed. The discussion highlights the effect of being observed on meat consumption and illustrates the influence of masculine identity.

The role of sexism in holding politicians accountable for sexual misconduct

Experimental research on the impact of the #MeToo movement on the evaluation of politicians has focused on how the impact is conditioned by partisan motivation. Beyond partisanship, gender identity and sexist attitudes may also act as a barrier to the success of #MeToo in challenging sexual misconduct in politics. In a conjoint experiment, we examine the extent to which sexism and gender identities (feminine/masculine identity and self-identified gender) condition how individuals respond to politicians accused of sexual misconduct. Respondents were shown two profiles of fictional British male candidates accused of sexual misconduct where the characteristics of the candidate and the scandal were (the number of allegations made, whether they apologized for the misconduct, their partisanship, and their stance on Brexit). We find that in general, more severe misconduct has a more negative impact on evaluations but that respondents who expressed attitudes consistent with hostile sexism were less likely to punish politicians for multiple offenses and less likely to reward a recognition of wrongdoing. Categorical gender identity, whether the respondent was a man or a woman, did not condition the electoral consequences of the scandal and a feminine and masculine identities moderated the impact of the political stance of the candidate. We conclude by discussing the importance of measuring gender attitudes, especially sexism and non-categorical measures of gender identity, in future studies on the political consequences of #MeToo.

When Fatherhood, Masculinities, and Structural Factors Collide: Fatherhood and its Complexities

This research intends to explore the complex dynamics between fatherhood and masculinities, and how these dynamics are shaped by different structural factors, which hinder the enactment of involved fatherhood in two generations of Bangladeshi fathers. It accumulates the voices and experiences of older and younger fathers living in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The findings demonstrate how the construction of fatherhood is influenced by Connell’s (1987) “hegemonic masculinity” ideology, where specific male identities – protectors and providers – are valued, at the cost of not performing involved or compassionate fatherhood. In addition, this study illustrates how the social expectations create pressure for men to fit in the prescribed categories; although, an attention is given towards the fluidity of hegemonic masculinity, and the challenges it faces from both generations’ fathers with the changing norms, and due to the practice of alternative masculinities – mostly by the young fathers. This research follows qualitative research methodology employing in-depth interviews and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) to have a deeper insight of what happens when structural factors, masculinity and fatherhood collide. The study concludes that both generations fathers are opening towards involved fatherhood, yet traditional fatherhood still dominates the domestic spheres. Social Science Review, Vol. 39(3), Dec 2022 Page 113-131

Chinese male survivors of intimate partner violence: living in and transforming stigma

ABSTRACT This qualitative research aimed to examine stigma of male IPV survivors in Hong Kong and Taiwan context, in particular, three aspects: 1) anticipated stigma and stigma internalization; 2) interplay of hegemony masculinity and cultural stigma in relation to violence against men; 3) their journey of from living in stigma to transforming stigma. 17 Chinese male IPV survivors were recruited both from Hong Kong and Taiwan, who had been in a heterosexual intimate relationship for at least 6 months. Through in-depth interviews, the issues of male IPV survivors facing oppressive forces from societal world views on hegemonic masculinity, their journey of living in stigma, their proactive deconstruction of stigma identity, and the further transformation of their new identity of masculinity are found in this research. This research could lead to recommendations for practitioners and policy makers regarding strategies to support male IPV survivors to live in a nonstigmatized social world.

Disorder, Riot and Governance in Early Tudor London: Evil May Day, 1517

Abstract On the eve of the May Day festival in 1517, a night of anti-immigrant violence broke out in London. Though pre-modern English historians have frequently invoked Evil May Day, as it came to be called, it has only recently been given concerted scholarly attention. The riot itself was ordinary, one amongst dozens in the first decades of the sixteenth century; it reveals, as a reflection of endemic grievance, a constellation of tensions surrounding labour, immigration, masculine identities, and governance in early Tudor London. More extraordinary, and heretofore not much noticed, was the Crown reaction to the Evil May Day disturbances, on which this article focuses. The insurrectionists were prosecuted for high treason rather than the minor charge of riot; a multi-day pageant of severe justice punctuated by theatrical reprieves followed. At least fifteen were put to death within London’s city walls and there are indications that the final execution toll was much greater, perhaps as high as forty-three. Such a toll following a mild riot could only have been unexpected and shocking, even if in fact ‘only’ fifteen rather than forty or more were executed. This was a message from the Crown both strategically conceived and emotionally driven by the king’s own rage, fury and fear. Though it was the youthful rioters who constituted most of those put to death in the aftermath, the message was meant primarily for the London civic elite, who had dared to question Crown policy and had failed to control the violence in their city.

From able-bodied soldier to disabled veteran: moral striving among Danish wounded veterans

ABSTRACT In this article, we investigate the role of military identity in Danish wounded veterans’ efforts to re-establish identity after trauma and come to terms with a disabled body. Drawing on qualitative interviews with physically wounded male veterans, we explore the two simultaneous transitions of moving from able-bodied to disabled, and from military to civilian life. Focusing on wounded veterans’ existential bodily experiences and moral striving, we elucidate how the veterans position themselves in relation to the disability label, and how military ideals of hegemonic masculinity and gender roles frame their efforts to cope with disability. Our interviews uncover that the Danish veterans strongly refuse to accept the status of ‘disabled’. In a persistent striving for normality, they invest immense efforts into their self-representation in an attempt to dissociate themselves from being victimized. Maintaining masculine military values and refusing to be vulnerable, the veterans adhere to a dichotomous notion of being either a man or a victim, thus establishing a very limited space for creating a new identity as disabled. We argue that, paradoxically, the veterans’ efforts to come to terms with and inhabit their disabled bodies aim at establishing continuity with their former soldier identity through masculine behaviour and disability sports, thus overcoming disability rather than accepting it.

The implications of the Madonna/Whore Constellation: A common fantasy underlying misogyny?

AbstractThe Madonna/Whore Constellation of fantasies often underlies well‐recognized and pervasive misogynistic attitudes in our culture. These common and disturbing ideas about women serve to validate continued societal acceptance of the degradation of those people who are identified as female. The author suggests that there is a dynamic connection between the often‐unconscious Madonna/Whore complex of fantasies and consciously recognized misogyny. The author suggests that this set of fantasies is driven, in part, by overwhelming (i.e., traumatic) annihilation anxiety. It is argued in this paper that men who have felt overstimulated by women both emotionally and sexually as they develop are likely to feel helpless, anxious, and powerless in relation to women as adults. To defend against these feelings, some men wish for omnipotent control and place women into the binary, dichotomous categories of Madonna or Whore. These fantasies serve to solidify masculine identity and a male sense of superiority. The author proposes that the prevailing norms in our culture that reflect male supremacy not only reflect shared patriarchal beliefs but also function to justify these particularly dangerous hateful beliefs ‐ as if they were appropriate and even necessary to maintaining superior male status.

“Yes, I’m Doing It”: Conflict-Induced Internally Displaced Filipino Men’s Enactments of Masculinity

Despite the Philippines’ history of five decades of prolonged violent conflicts and internal displacements, majority of which are in its southern island of Mindanao, studies exploring the enactments of masculinities of noncombatant men are few. Using 31 life stories of Filipino men who experienced conflict-induced internal displacement, complemented by in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and community profiles, the present article demonstrates how these Filipino men constructed an ideal masculinity compounded by imprints of a colonial history, especially the resistance towards integration into colonial Philippines by Muslims in Mindanao. Additionally, their constructions of idealized masculinities are reflective of their negotiation between context and adherence to local hegemonic masculinities in Philippine society that legitimizes unequal gender relations. We argue that Filipino men’s accounts of ideal masculinity and their aspirations to this model reflect ongoing negotiation between immediate circumstances and persistent adherence to local hegemonic masculinities.

Masculinity, poverty and body image among older men in Tanzania: connecting intersectionality and Bourdieu's theory of practice

Abstract Until now, the body image literature has largely ignored older men. In particular, little is known about how older men perceive and experience their ageing bodies, despite the importance of the body to men's practice of masculinity and their position within gendered hierarchies. Addressing this gap in the research, we conducted 15 in-depth interviews and ten focus group discussions (N = 60) with older men aged 60–82 years. Drawing upon the intersectionality approach and Bourdieu's theory of practice, we examined how older men with low socio-economic status give meaning to their ageing bodies in relation to ideals of masculinity. The findings suggest that body strength is vital capital for older men with low socio-economic status, and that changes in their bodies as they age affect their ability to actualise themselves as ‘real’ men and undermine their sense of masculinity. The inability to live up to masculine ideals left most of these men feeling inadequate and ashamed. The findings further reveal that stress caused by ageing bodies, exacerbated by older men's socio-economic conditions, constituted a threat to their survival and overall wellbeing. Interventions should take older men's perceptions of and adaptations to the ageing body into account. In addition, when designing interventions for older men, practitioners should consider the socio-economic and cultural context in which older men are embedded. Particularly important is a gender-transformative intervention that raises awareness of negative masculine norms.

Revealing Masculinity in BTS’s Music: Between Self Identity and Market Desire

Previous studies assessed that the Korean Wave, including the music group Bangtan Sonyeondan (BTS), had campaigned for a different side of masculinity. BTS, through their music, seems to carry the concept of a "female-friendly model of masculinity". This feminine masculine identity is attached to BTS members and creates a typical stereotype of Asian men in the United States. This study aims to determine the representation of masculinity displayed by the boy group BTS in their video clips from 2013 to 2021 and observe at least 33 video clips. The researcher observed the symbol representation in the video clip with a Critical Discourse Analysis from Norman Fairclough and then conducted a thematic analysis by Braun and Clarke. The results showed a change in the representation of masculinity throughout their careers. This change in representation is also a form of compromise and negotiation between BTS as artists and the music industry's demands at an international level

“It's how people act out there that counts”: Examining linkages between emerging and protective organisationally desirable managerial masculinities and a reimagining of formal safety policies in the offshore oilfield

The male-dominated occupations comprising North Sea offshore oilfield work have long been stereotyped as attracting rough, ‘hard’ and pro-risk identities. However, stereotyping of male identities in high-risk workspaces are challenged by recent literatures citing complex, hybrid and emerging notions of safety-positive masculinities. Industrial policies are often highlighted as the catalyst for rapidly reshaping men's masculinities towards identities interlinked with performances of safety. Despite claims, few studies conduct structured policy analysis of safety-risk policies and pair this with interviews with policy makers. This study contributes to a body of existing literatures examining how formal oilfield safety policy influences construction of oilmen's institutional masculinities. Structured Document Analysis (DA) of three core safety policies was conducted at a major Scottish oilfield drilling organisation. Semi-structured interviews with seven policy-maker-supervisors were also conducted onshore; exploring contents, construction, and formal-informal goals of policy. DA uncovered two distinct blueprints influencing workplace identity; a dominant blueprint promoting ‘traditional’ oilfield masculinities, and a secondary blueprint promoting emerging oilfield masculinities. Policy makers revealed complex, informal processes of managerial reimagining, reframing, and selective policy interpretations, leading to prioritisation and promotion of motifs from only the secondary policy blueprint in the worksite; upholding emerging protective and pro-safety workplace masculinities. This downplayed, minimised, and overrode the ‘traditional’ -more prevalent- dominant policy motifs. The importance of findings are discussed, as is a pathway for future organisational masculinities, policy and energy-safety research to take advantage of the methodological approach and learnings developed from this scholarship.

Patriarchal Anxieties and Masculine Sexual Privilege in Contemporary Urban Mali

The neoliberal transformation of Mali's burgeoning capital city, Bamako, has undermined men's capacity to provide for their households and dependents even as it has boosted women's economic participation, leading senior males to express mounting anxieties over their declining economic power. As more men find themselves unable to assure economic stability for the women and children under their charge, many double down in their bid to exercise authority over women, particularly their wives. Some men use polygynous marriage as a means of performing certain masculine ideals, acquiring social prestige despite their diminished roles as breadwinners. Others find maintaining multiple female partners outside marriage similarly useful for offsetting their economic disadvantages. Based on ethnographic fieldwork and interviews with men and women in Bamako, this paper examines the extent to which modern masculinity in the city remains predicated on the control of women and their bodies.

‘A Different Ball Game’: Adaptation of a men’s health program for implementation in rural Australia

BackgroundMen residing in rural areas are less likely to participate in weight management interventions than women, and few men-specific programs target rural areas. Aussie-Fans in Training (Aussie-FIT) is an evidence-based weight management intervention that uses professional Australian Football club affiliations and settings as a ‘hook’ to engage urban-residing men. The aim of this study is to report on how findings from rural stakeholder focus groups were used to inform the adaptation of Aussie-FIT for implementation in rural areas.MethodsSeven focus groups with stakeholders (n = 24) in three rural towns explored existing weight management and physical activity provisions, barriers and facilitators to engaging men, and considerations for adapting Aussie-FIT for implementation in rural contexts. Qualitative data were analysed using the framework approach. Adaptations made to the Aussie-FIT program and strategies to implement the program in rural contexts were reported using a structured framework.ResultsThemes generated from our analysis include limited appealing services for men, Australian Football as a ‘common language’, the influence of the ‘smaller fishpond’(population), considerations for program inclusivity, and the importance of local partner organisations for sustainability. We adapted the recruitment and marketing strategies, delivery settings, football program theme and partnerships for rural implementation. Stakeholders advised that an Australian Football program theme without specific local club affiliations would be important to avoid alienating men with differing club allegiances or non-sporting backgrounds. A multi-component recruitment strategy utilising local trusted sources, and program marketing that aligns with masculine ideals were considered important by stakeholders in small communities where ‘people talk’.ConclusionsRural areas were described as ‘a different ball game’ due to limited local services and resources in comparison to metropolitan areas. Study findings have synergies with previous studies undertaken in rural contexts including in relation to the power of word of mouth, the importance of trust, and local partner organisations. Findings have implications for engaging rural men in health interventions in rural contexts where professional sporting contexts are not available. Assessing the extent to which the adapted Aussie-FIT program can reach and engage men in rural Australia, and exploring the barriers and facilitators to delivering the program in rural contexts is required.

HIV-Response Intergenerational Participation Intervention Among Black Men in Ontario, Canada: Protocol for a Pilot Intervention Study.

Black men and their communities are more affected by HIV. Although they constitute less than 5% of the Ontarian population, they accounted for 26% of new HIV diagnoses in 2015, nearly half of which (48.6%) were attributed to heterosexual contact. HIV stigma and discrimination reinforce African, Caribbean, and Black men's HIV vulnerability by creating unsafe environments that deter them from testing and disclosure, resulting in isolation, depression, delayed diagnosis and linkage to treatment and care, and poor health outcomes. In response to these challenges, intergenerational strategies were identified from previous community-based participatory studies as best practices to reduce HIV vulnerabilities and promote resilience among heterosexual Black men and communities. The proposed intervention is premised on this recommendation of intergenerational intervention. The overarching objective is to engage heterosexual Black men and communities in cocreating a community centered, culturally safe intergenerational intervention to reduce HIV vulnerabilities and related health disparities. We will engage 12 diverse community stakeholders in Ontario, inclusive of heterosexual Black men, in 8 weekly sessions to evaluate existing evidence of effective HIV health literacy interventions, identify essential and relevant aspects, and work collaboratively to co-design the HIV-Response Intergenerational Participation (HIP) intervention for use with Black men and communities. Next, we will recruit 24 self-identified heterosexual Black men aged 18-29, 29-49, and ≥50 years. We will pilot and evaluate the HIP intervention with 24 heterosexual Black men from these 3 age groups (split as 2 events: a total of 12 participants in person in Toronto and 12 participants on the web in Windsor, London, and Ottawa). We will use the data obtained along with questionnaires from validated scales and focus groups to evaluate the effectiveness of HIP. The data will include HIV knowledge, perceived stigma toward people living with HIV, acceptance and uptake of HIV testing, preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP), postexposure prophylaxis (PEP), and condom use. We will also collect data related to perceptions about system-level factors such as discrimination, socially misconstrued masculine identity, etc. Quantitative analysis will essentially be a univariate descriptive analysis. We will use thematic analysis to highlight the results of the focus group discussions. Finally, we will disseminate the evaluation results and engage researchers, leaders, Black men, and communities to expand the project team and scale up the intervention in Ontario and across Canada. Implementation commences by May 2023, and by September 2023, we should have produced, among others, an evidence-informed HIP intervention that can be adapted for use by heterosexual Black men and communities beyond Ontario. The pilot intervention will strengthen critical health literacy and build resilience against HIV through intergenerational dialogue among heterosexual Black men of all ages. PRR1-10.2196/48829.

Swipe for Your Right to Party: Gender, Social Structure, and Social Media in College Drinking Intensity

ABSTRACT College drinking scholars have built a deep literature around the ways in which gender shapes drinking culture and its outcomes. Few have explicitly explored the way that gender combines with other structural attributes, like social class, and works through social media interaction to predict drinking intensity. We investigate the way gender, identity, and different types of social media involvement can help explain drinking intensity among college students at an institution with a strong party culture. A series of nested regressions show that men’s drinking intensity is more strongly associated with dimensions of male identity related to family social class and father’s political leaning. Furthermore, we find a complex relationship between drinking intensity and different dimensions of social media use. For both college women and men, there is a positive association between the intensity of use of general social media platforms and drinking intensity, but this association is not significant when accounting for their involvement in college party culture. However, after accounting for party culture involvement, our results suggest that use of apps related to hookup culture participation may represent an additional dimension that is associated with drinking intensity, a finding that seems especially prominent for some men. We conclude by discussing implications, limitations, and directions for future research