Male Identity Research Articles

Social network dynamics, infant loss, and gut microbiota composition in female Colobus vellerosus during time periods with alpha male challenges.

The gut microbiota of group-living animals is strongly influenced by their social interactions, but it is unclear how it responds to social instability. We investigated whether social instability associated with the arrival of new males and challenges to the alpha male position could explain differences in the gut microbiota in adult female Colobus vellerosus at Boabeng-Fiema, Ghana. First, we used a data set collected during May-August 2007 and May 2008-2009 that consisted of (i) 50 fecal samples from adult females in eight social groups for V4 16S rRNA sequencing to determine gut microbiota composition, and (ii) demographic and behavioral data ad libitum to determine male immigration, challenges to the alpha male position, and infant births and deaths. Sørensen and Bray-Curtis beta diversity indices (i.e., between-sample microbiota variation) were predicted by year, alpha male stability, group identity, and age. Next, we used a more detailed behavioral data set collected during focal observations of adult females in one group with a prolonged alpha male takeover and three cases of infant loss, to create 12-month versus 3-month 1-m proximity networks that preceded and overlapped the gut microbiome sampling period in that group. The long versus short-term networks were not correlated, suggesting temporal variation in proximity networks. In this group, beta diversity among the five adult females was predicted by similarity in infant loss status and short-term (rather than yearly) 1-m proximity ties. Although the mechanism driving this association needs to be further investigated in future studies, our findings indicate that alpha male takeovers are associated with gut microbiota variation and highlight the importance of taking demographic and social network dynamics into account.

Patriarchal pacts in the neo-archaic manosphere: warband brotherhoods as fascist masculinity

ABSTRACT This paper situates contemporary manospheric culture within archaic forms of masculine identity formation foundational to patriarchal political orders and fascism. What happens when 21st century emergent masculinity is also what Deleuze and Guattari call a neo-archaism? Drawing from Celia Amoros’ understanding of patriarchy as being primarily composed of masculine pacts and packs, I analyse the manosphere as an neo-archaic space for the formation of brotherhoods. Moreover, these fratriarchal groupings are warbands, reviving the Männerbund as fascist patriarchal pact. An analysis that takes seriously the neo-archaic elements of the manosphere sees the archaic not as past imaginary but a revived force that erupts in the present. We can see the manosphere less as one part of the internet than a transnationally spreading zone that expands this archaic war. Finally, the paper argues that the conjuncture is riven by the revival of a patriarchal power that is primordial, defined as a first order in which gender is foundational to its mythical establishment.

‘All the same under the skin’: representations of class and gender in Michel Faber’s Under the Skin

ABSTRACT The essay, broadly conceived in two sections, examines the relationship between gender and class in Michel Faber’s novel Under the Skin. The first section utilizes Beverley Skeggs’ ethnography on working-class women in Britain to outline Isserley’s social positioning and how it is associated with negative value. We contend that Isserley’s appearance and employment reproduce the dominant and pathologizing cultural representations of working-class women. Further, the essay argues that Isserley disidentifies as a working-class woman through the discourse of improvement since the representations of her positioning constantly devalue her. In the second section, we shift our focus to the intersection of gender and class in the construction of masculine identity. We argue that the representation of men in the novel replicates that of working-class men in the British context. The essay draws on R.W. Connell’s concept of marginalized masculinities to explore how the lives of men become inferior not just in terms of their bodies but also by failing to align with the hegemonic norms of manhood, such as staying employed, married, and being a provider for the family.

Gender Is a Spectrum: Evaluating Current and Novel Ways to Inquire About Gender Identity in the Health Care Setting.

The use of visuals to inquire about gender in the clinical setting has been rare. We developed a survey that included a visual spectrum to assess perceptions about the most and least inclusive ways of inquiring about gender in patients with gender dysphoria. The survey included a multiple-choice question (MCQ), free-response question, and a visual spectrum on which respondents were asked to select one box that best depicts their gender. The survey was administered to all patients diagnosed with gender dysphoria at our institution between April and June 2022. A total of 223 of 856 patients responded. Those with more masculine gender identities selected boxes near the visual spectrum corner of "man," whereas responses were more variable for more feminine genders. The free-response question was identified by 59% of respondents as the most inclusive. The MCQ was identified as least inclusive by 70.4%. The visual spectrum was considered the most inclusive method by the majority of patients who self-identified as woman and demiwoman/demifemale. Being asked about pronouns was extremely or very important in the health care setting for 52% of respondents, but 68.6% indicated that they are rarely or sometimes asked about their pronouns in this setting. The traditional MCQ format for self-identifying gender may be lacking in inclusivity and fails to represent the nuances of gender identity. Free response was considered the most inclusive way to inquire about gender among our respondents. These findings highlight the importance of formatting gender identity questionnaires to foster inclusivity for transgender patients.

Reimagining Subversive Masculinities in J.P. Donleavy's The Ginger Man and John Broderick's The Pilgrimage

This article investigates two banned novels, J.P. Donleavy’s The Ginger Man (1955) and John Broderick's The Pilgrimage (1961), to explore how the mid-century Irish novel explored themes of masculinity in opposition to official Church and State teachings on postcolonial Irish masculinity. In its analysis, the article focuses on each novel’s use of narrative and style to articulate thematic concerns over the rigidity of the expectations of mid-twentieth-century Irish manhood. Moreover, it demonstrates how both authors construct models of masculinity that reject contemporaneous teachings on an idealised masculinity and expose the contradictions that are inherent in such teachings. The article's examination of these works showcases how both novels sought to complicate these dogmatic images of masculinity, and were ultimately banned by the Censorship Board as a result.

Living the tradition: the formation of gaucho masculine identities over time

Identity is a sociocultural construct influenced by markers such as race, gender, nationality, and traditions, and in the gacuho context, beliefs and customs historically transmitted since the colonization of the territory shape masculinities. Manoelito de Ornellas, in his work "Gaúchos e Beduínos: The Ethnic Origin and Social Formation of Rio Grande do Sul" (1956), aims to reclaim the gaucho essence, portraying the man as a courageous, virile, and honorable hero. Thus, a reflection on these values can contribute to the understanding of gaucho masculinities formed through traditionalism. The objective of this study is to reflect on the representations and meanings of gaucho male identities in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, based on read and interpretation of Ornellas' work, as well as anthropological references on male identity.

THE (MIS)USE OF IDEAL MASCULINITY IN ARMED CONFLICTS

This paper explores the concept of ideal masculinity in the context of armed conflicts and analyses its relationship with actual forms of masculinity. The paper aims to present the content of the socioculturally shaped ideal of masculinity during wartime and explain how such an ideal impacts the lives of men affected by armed conflicts. Through a review of relevant literature from feminist theories of international security and masculinity studies, the paper highlights the discrepancy between ideals and reality, drawing attention to the negative consequences stemming from that gap. Namely, unable to meet the demands of ideal masculinity, men face frustration and pressure to become more violent than they would be, in order to conform to societal expectations. In conclusion, the paper emphasises the need for further research into this domain and the deconstruction of militarised masculinity with an ultimate aim to establish more inclusive perceptions of masculinity so that the majority of men can benefit from such a perception change.

Kipling's Manboys and Boymen: Masculinity as Child's Play

This thesis delves into the representation of boys and masculinity in Rudyard Kipling’s fiction through the lens of creative criticism. Using the methodology of a thought experiment,  the study meditates on whether male characters in Kipling’s nineteenth-century short stories are able to render a mature masculine identity, or whether they exist in a state of half-becoming, as ‘manboys’. The central contention posits that Kipling’s works are devoid of a definitive ‘man’ archetype; instead, they portray characters at varying stages of boyhood, shaping masculinity through skilful engagement in childlike play.
 The analysis revolves around select short stories including “The Last of the Stories”, “The Strange Ride of Morrowbie Jukes”, “The Cry of Blood”, “The Mark of the Beast”, “The Man Who Would be King”, “The Story of Muhammed Din”, “Without Benefit of the Clergy”, “Beyond the Pale" and “All the Mowgli Stories”.
 Central interpretations in the iconic Raj narratives includes an exposure of the fragility and domestic instability of expatriate culture’s dynamics, behaviours, and institutions. “The Man Who Would Be King” is read as an adventure undertaken by schoolboys. In “Without Benefit of the Clergy” and “Beyond the Pale", this playful masculine existence is intertwined with the awkward problem of first love. Moving between short stories, the study keeps a steady eye on the character of Mowgli from “The Jungle Books”, drawing comparing his development to that of other characters.
 Navigating Kipling’s literary terrain has traditionally been a challenging endeavour within academia. However, this piece attends to the complexities of Kipling’s expansive imaginative realm. By redefining masculinity through the lens of playful mastery, this study intends a nuanced interpretation of several of his male characters, contributing to broader critical conversations surrounding gender, coloniality, childhood and psychoanalytic approaches to Literature.

Priests and their Bodies after Trent: (Dis)abilities, Masculinities, Sexualities

This article discusses the impact of a “corporeal turn” in early modern religious history on recent publications in Counter‐Reformation Catholic History. Scholars increasingly look towards the Church's legal archives in Rome as a source of information about ecclesiastical and theological attitudes to the body and sexuality. The figure of the priest has emerged as one of the most interesting subjects in that inquiry because of the richness of material about clerics which those archives hold. Scholars are now engaged in study of how past generations of theologians, ecclesiastical magistrates, and medics assessed priestly abilities and disabilities, priests' engagement in sexual acts, and their wider performances of masculine identities. Rome's role as a major centre in shaping Catholic masculinities is reinforced in this scholarship but a new study underscores the blurred boundaries between the lay and ecclesiastical in masculinities there. Overall, this research provides much new material both for rethinking historical questions about Trent's impact on reform discourses and also for commenting on contemporary debates in theology and Church politics about the nature of Christian priesthood.

Fleshing Out the Ways Masculinity Threat and Traditional Masculinity Ideology Relate to Meat-Eating and Environmental Attitudes in Australian Men

Meat consumption needs to be reduced to limit climate change but achieving this requires understanding the drivers of meat consumption. In this study, we investigated two potential drivers—a contextual threat to masculinity and the stable individual difference of masculine ideology—and how they predict meat-eating intentions, attitudes, and environmentalism. Employing a sample of 375 Australian men, a population known for its high meat consumption, we did not find support that a contextual threat to men’s masculinity increased pro-meat attitudes or intentions. Instead, we found that prevailing views about masculine ideology significantly predicted meat-related attitudes and intentions, with avoidance of femininity associated with lower avoidance of meat and lower intentions to eat clean meat, and the endorsement of male dominance tied to lower pro-environmental responding. Our findings suggest that situational threats to masculinity may not robustly affect meat consumption intentions and highlight the importance of more stable individual differences in the conception of the male gender identity in maintaining men’s high meat consumption.

"He is just Ken:" deconstructing hegemonic masculinity in Barbie (2023 Movie).

Scholars have consistently explored Barbie in various contexts, often subjecting it to critical analysis. However, the release of the Barbie 2023 Movie has shifted our focus from Barbie to Ken, marking the first occasion when Barbie has provided a platform for exploring representations of masculinity both in the patriarchal society and in popular culture. This article aims to investigate how the 2023 Barbie movie deconstructs symbols of hegemonic and toxic masculinity and its performative aspects within the framework of (post)feminist discourse. It examines how the movie satirically employs symbols of traditional, hegemonic masculinity to challenge normative masculine ideals prevalent in our patriarchal society. The movie -through its popularity- significantly contributes to mainstream postfeminist media culture, creating a platform where discussions on masculinity, its associated crises, and the broader gender wars, along with their existential ramifications, become unavoidable. Exploring the ways masculinities are problematized and contested within postfeminist media culture, I argue that Ken, within this narrative, is positioned as the latest icon of postfeminist masculinity, symbolizing a critical juncture in the ongoing discourse on gender roles and identities.

Balcony of Disgrace: The Intersection of Patriarchy and Honor in Arab Societies

The paper explores the complex issue of patriarchal principles that shape the socialization of men in Arab societies, where the criterion for masculinity is deeply rooted in adherence to cultural norms. Through the lens of Nasrallah’s novel Balcony of Disgrace (2010), the study analyzes the impact of the societal concept of honor on male identity and the difficult choices faced by men in such societies. The novel highlights the oppressive nature of patriarchal societies, which link male honor with female sexuality and legitimize the murder of women to preserve man’s image. The paper argues that patriarchal oppression not only extends to women but also to men who face public criticism for not conforming to patriarchal norms. The study aims to fill the gap in the existing literature on honor killings by highlighting the crises of both male and female identities. Overall, this paper provides a critical analysis of the impact of patriarchal norms on male identity and the societal consequences of gender-based violence in Arab societies.

The contribution of gender shame to fathers’ absence from welfare services

Based on in-depth interviews with 44 parents in Israel the study presents factors that inhibited fathers from applying for help from welfare services. The findings show the effects of “gender shame”. Apparently, both genders consider fathers’ appealing for welfare services as an indication of failure to fulfil their role as breadwinners, a view that undermines their male identity. This view led many of the mothers to take the responsibility of seeking help from the welfare services and encourage fathers to focus on their main role as breadwinners.

Measurement of adolescent psychological wellbeing: A test of factor structure and measurement invariance.

Gains in holistic approaches to adult mental health have been associated with increasing interest in understanding psychological wellbeing (PWB) among adolescents. Empirical examination of measurement models for PWB in adolescence is lacking. Thus, the current study examined PWB in a longitudinal, diverse sample of 433 adolescents (non-Latinx Black: 37.6%; non-Latinx White: 25.9%; Latinx: 36.5%; Male adolescents: 50.1%). A one-factor, correlated six-factor and hierarchical models were examined across racial/ethnic (White, Black, and Hispanic) and gender (female, male) identities, after which the best fitting model was selected to undergo invariance testing. A one-factor structure was superior, and exhibited strict invariance across racial/ethnic and gender identities at each wave of the study, as well as longitudinal invariance within the entire sample.

EXPLORING THE COMPLEX NARRATIVES OF TOXIC MASCULINITY ON THE INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT @Thegentlemanrising

This research delves into the intricate narratives surrounding toxic masculinity through a Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis of content on the Instagram account Thegentlemanrising. The study investigates how ideas of toxic masculinity are represented in both visual and textual elements, specifically in photos and expressions shared on the platform. Thegentlemanrising actively communicates messages aimed at encouraging the younger generation to embrace masculinity, emphasizing positive attributes while avoiding toxic traits. The content consists of motivational quotes fostering a healthy masculine identity, often accompanied by images of individuals embodying positive masculine characteristics. This study positions Thegentlemanrising as an initiative to balance and juxtapose the concept of masculinity, promoting positive ideals and steering clear of toxic behaviors. The findings contribute to our understanding of how social media platforms can play a role in shaping discussions around masculinity and influencing perceptions among the audience, particularly the younger generation.

‘You got to be a hard man’: performing and negotiating normative masculinities among Ghanaian young adults

There have been growing concerns among feminists and masculinity theorists on how particular constructions of masculinities may tend to limit options available for men to explore. Drawing on qualitative in-depth interviews conducted with fifteen men aged 30-35, findings revealed that young men are active agents who do not only passively embrace particular normative gender norms and practices, but that young men also have the capacity to deconstruct and challenge what is normatively presented to them. It is particularly essential to note the ways in which problematic constructions of gender were not only enacted and reproduced, but how particular constructions of masculinity were challenged simultaneously. We argue that such contestations should be read within the broader historical and sociocultural contexts in which young men make sense of their masculine identities in relations to prevailing gender discourses. This is an important finding as it highlights the complex and contradictory processes through which young men may situationally make sense of their normative gender identities in order to merit acceptance and status validity among their peers. Findings from this study have important implications for how gender equitable subjectivities can be nurtured and promoted among young men.

A 50‐year content analysis on Black males' experiences in counseling

AbstractThe view of Black male identities has historically been distorted. Traditionally, it has reflected the dehumanization of Black males through the lens of criminality and lacking dignity. However, in a similar fashion, little is known about the Black males in counseling, due to simultaneous under examination in empirical literature. Therefore, the researchers conducted a content analysis on the family of American Counseling Association and affiliate journals to observe the current state of scholarship on Black males’ experiences with counseling. Using an intersectional lens to the approach, our review yielded 102 articles on Black males' experiences with counseling published between 1972 and 2022. Implications for culturally responsive practices and counselor education are further discussed.

Alternative Books in black and white: race and homoeroticism in South African male nude photography from the apartheid period

ABSTRACT Representations of black-white homoeroticism and sensuality between men of colour in apartheid-era male nude photography aimed at white gay men, which, in South Africa, were exclusive to selected titles published by Alternative Books (AB) (1981–1991), are remarkable yet neglected in queer African studies. In this article, I explore how sexual apartheid was respectively maintained and transgressed in the historical reception of such photographs by two radically different readerships: that is, by censors involved in proscribing homoerotic commodities, and by AB’s intended audiences. Drawing from historical censorship reports on AB’s titles, I propose that the inconsistent treatment of photographs from these publications according to the racial categories of the men depicted is a particularly revealing iteration of selective homophobia and ‘official’ perceptions of homosexuality during apartheid. Considering, then, that AB’s titles anticipated a historical minority readership comprised of queer insiders rather than homophobic outsiders, I make the case for a corrective by ‘outing’ the queer and anti-racist potential of such diverse homoerotic images, which rendered intelligible possibilities for intimacy repressed elsewhere in consumer markets that catered to predominantly white gay audiences and that were, in a sense, complicit with the state’s whitewashing of male homosexual identity and desire.

‘I try to do something a bit different’: exploring fathers’ integration of care ethics in everyday family lives

This article draws on ethnographic research to explore how an ethic of care is incorporated into fathers’ everyday family lives. Drawing on feminist conceptualisations of the ‘components of care’, this research investigates how fathers recognise and interpret care needs, as well as observing how such needs are practically attended to. Central to this article is an exploration of the extent to which men’s integration of care ethics can be seen to consolidate ideals of hegemonic masculinity or whether newly emerging forms of caring masculinities are challenging traditional gendered inequalities in care work. Analysis of fathers’ recognition of care needs and what they care ‘about’ implies a masculinised coding, in which traditional masculine values are recast to align with an ethic of care. It is argued that such framings stand to reaffirm hegemonic processes, with caring forms of masculinity representing a new hegemon. However, observations of fathers’ embodied caregiving arguably demonstrate how caring ‘for’ children can challenge traditional ideals of care labour, with men’s bodies recast within an ethic of care. Ultimately, this article contributes nuanced understandings of how men interpret and practise components of care, offering distinctions in the gendered trajectories of caring ‘for’ and caring ‘about’.

Chigno/CG11180 and SUMO are Chinmo-interacting proteins with a role in Drosophila testes somatic support cells.

Stem cells are critical for replenishment of cells lost to death, damage or differentiation. Drosophila testes are a key model system for elucidating mechanisms regulating stem cell maintenance and differentiation. An intriguing gene identified through such studies is the transcription factor, chronologically inappropriate morphogenesis (Chinmo). Chinmo is a downstream effector of the Jak-STAT signaling pathway that acts in testis somatic stem cells to ensure maintenance of male stem cell fate and sexual identity. Defects in these processes can lead to infertility and the formation of germ cell tumors. While Chinmo's effect on testis stem cell behavior has been investigated in detail, there is still much to be learned about its structure, function, and interactions with other proteins. Using a two-hybrid screen, we find that Chinmo interacts with itself, the small ubiquitin-like modifier SUMO, the novel protein CG11180, and four other proteins (CG4318, Ova (ovaries absent), Taf3 (TBP-associated factor 3), and CG18269). Since both Chinmo and CG11180 contain sumoylation sites and SUMO-interacting motifs (SIMs), we analyzed their interaction in more detail. Using site-directed mutagenesis of a unique SIM in CG11180, we demonstrate that Chinmo's interaction with CG11180 is SUMO-dependent. Furthermore, to assess the functional relevance of both SUMO and CG11180, we performed RNAi-mediated knockdown of both proteins in somatic cells of the Drosophila testis. Using this approach, we find that CG11180 and SUMO are required in somatic cells of adult testes, and that reduction of either protein causes formation of germ cell tumors. Overall, our work suggests that SUMO may be involved in the interaction of Chinmo and CG11180 and that these genes are required in somatic cells of the adult Drosophila testis. Consistent with the CG11180 knockdown phenotype in male testes, and to underscore its connection to Chinmo, we propose the name Chigno (Childless Gambino) for CG11180.