Masculine Men Research Articles

Extended Space as Disgrace: A Phenomenological Study of Rahat Khwaja’s Queerness in the Pakistani Movie Zindagi Tamasha

This phenomenological study reveals the societal backlash faced by Rahat Khwaja in the movie Zindagi Tamasha, highlighting broader implications for the acceptance of queer identities within Pakistan's socio-religious landscape. I, hereby, contend that Pakistan’s gender-based patriarchal society disregards and questions queerness, especially in religious personalities. Rationalising this study using Sara Ahmed’s queer phenomenological model of affect as contact with Gillian Rose’s visual methodologies, I examine the conundrums of gender performance in the patriarchal Pakistani society by significantly focusing on how Khwaja's dance performance challenges normative gender roles and problematises societal backlash on becoming a queer-oriented religious person. Nonetheless, his newly acquired queerness as rejection of the norms highlights the socio-religious dilemma of his existence. This study reflects on the problem of queer phenomenological belongingness and unbelongingness of Khwaja as a disoriented figure in the hetero-obsessed patriarchal society and the resultant challenges he faces due to the backlash on his dance performance while asserting his identity as a righteous masculine man. Although he refuses to apologise, this extended space becomes disgraceful for him, and recreates his marginalised position as a fat-belly dancer. By examining the societal reaction to Khwaja's performance, I underscore the complexities of queer identity politics in contemporary Pakistan, shedding light on both the challenges and resilience of individuals navigating cultural norms for adjustment. Keywords: Queer Phenomenology, Zindagi Tamasha, viral queer memes, disgrace, socio-religious shaming culture; Pakistani queer cinema, Rahat Khwaja

Beyond the Gender Binary: Transgender Labor Force Status in the United States 2014–17

Following the recent acknowledgment of and debates around transgender people in the United States, there has emerged a small but growing literature on the economic implications of being transgender. However, most economic research on gender fails to account for major components of gender by only including sex and gender identity, which may entail drastic mischaracterizations of transgender labor market outcomes. This article accounts for how people express their gender and how one’s voice is perceived by others using the Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance Systems 2014–7, which finds compelling evidence of transgender women facing labor market penalties for having a feminine gender expression and voice perceived as feminine, whereas transgender men are rewarded for having a masculine gender expression and voice perceived as masculine. HIGHLIGHTS Masculinity associates with a labor market premium. Feminine trans men and women have labor market outcomes similar to feminine ciswomen. Masculine trans men and women have labor market outcomes similar to masculine cismen. Gender incongruence associates with labor market penalties.

Constructing Masculinity in Men’s Skincare Advertising: A Semiotic Study Utilizing Roland Barthes’ Theory

Constructing Masculinity in Men’s Skincare Advertising: A Semiotic Study Utilizing Roland Barthes’ Theory

Adherence to Masculinity Norms and Depression Symptoms Among Israeli Men: The Moderating Role of Psychological Flexibility.

Being a man has been recognized as a salient risk factor for suicide. Adopting uncompromised masculine perceptions (i.e., conforming to the masculine gender role norms) may restrict emotional expressiveness in men, which, in turn, may contribute to depression and somatization symptoms. We examined the moderating role of psychological flexibility and alexithymia in the relationship of masculinity with depression and somatization symptoms. A sample of 119 men completed measures of masculinity, alexithymia (difficulty identifying and delivering subjective feelings), psychological flexibility, depression, and somatization symptoms in a cross-sectional design study. Psychological flexibility levels moderated the relationship between masculinity and depression symptoms: Masculinity contributed as positively associated with depression symptoms when psychological flexibility was low, but no such association was found at moderate or high levels of psychological flexibility. As a cognitive factor promoting adaptive emotional regulation, psychological flexibility might reduce depression symptoms among inflexible masculine men. Clinical implications relate to diagnosing at-risk subgroups and their treatment.

Have a Woman’s Heart but a Man’s Face: Perceptions of Gay Relationships in Greek Gay Men

AbstractIn this qualitative study, we build upon the findings of previous research by investigating the perceptions and attitudes of 10 self-identified gay men in Greece, toward gay relationships, the influence of Greek society upon them, masculinity, partner preferences, and self-disclosure. A critical thematic analysis of the semi-structured interviews revealed that most participants held negative views regarding same-sex relationships among gay men possibly due to internalizing the homonegativity of Greek society which was consistently acknowledged. They further expressed preference for masculine partners and tended to avoid feminine gay men, preferring to befriend them rather than pursue a romantic relationship with them. Although many participants described masculine gay men as reserved, distant, and emotionally restricted, they still preferred them as partners. Furthermore, most participants expressed negative opinions about self-disclosure, possibly due to the identity confusion caused by the rejection for their sexual orientation Greek social environment. Similarly, when it came to LGBTIQ + rights activism, participants were opposed, contending that it caused more confusion and discord within the younger generation of gays rather than fostered positive change. This research makes a unique contribution by presenting a realistic account of gay men’s contradicting views of their selfhood, a disbelief in gay relationships, an outright preference for masculinity in partnerships, a disdain for gay rights activism, and fear of self-disclosure. These perceptions and attitudes appear to be due to the long history of societal marginalization and rejection and may be subject to change as Greece moves toward a more accepting environment for LGBTIQ + rights.

Re-evaluating the Role of Partnership-Related Perceptions in Women's Preferences for Men with Masculine Face Shapes.

Many researchers have proposed that women perceive men with masculine face shapes to be less suitable as parents and long-term partners than men with feminine face shapes, causing women to find masculine men more attractive for short-term than long-term relationships. However, recent work shows that results obtained using the type of experimentally manipulated stimuli that were employed in studies presenting evidence for these claims are not necessarily observed when natural (i.e., unmanipulated) face stimuli were used to suggest that the evidence for these claims may need to be revaluated. Consequently, we tested for possible relationships between ratings of natural male faces for parenting- and relationship-related traits and shape masculinity (Study 1) and also tested whether women's preferences for shape masculinity were stronger when natural male faces were rated for short-term relationships than when natural male faces were rated for long-term relationships (Studies 2 and 3). We saw no evidence for either of these predictions, instead finding that men with more attractive faces were perceived to be better parents and better long-term partners. Thus, our findings do not support the widely held view that masculine men are more attractive for short-term relationships because they are perceived to be unlikely to invest time and effort in their romantic partners and offspring.

The Construction of Masculinity Reflected through Fashion in The Wild One (1953) Film

This article seeks to explore the traits of the characters in The Wild One film as well as the construction of masculinity reflected through dress or costumes in the film. The findings of this study reveal that there is a symbol in The Wild One that has a sense of masculinity based on the Greasers' outfit. The author implies the traits of the characters and the concept of masculinity established via the fashion of the Greasers in the film The Wild One, in which masculine men like the Greasers are emblems of world masculinity. They must have a well-built, strong body and an attractive appearance, and they must always appear daring and brave. All of these criteria are concepts owned by the Greasers culture. According to the findings of this study, the construction of masculinity in popular culture refers to the Greasers' concept of masculinity. The presence of a hidden message in the film The Wild One, where the attire of the Greasers, who embody the image of masculinity in the modern period, produces the concept of consumerism and materialism, was also discovered.

Understanding Femmephobia Within Queer Communities: Insights From Gay Latino College Men

ABSTRACT Guided by the perspectives of 50 gay Latino men in college, this qualitative study examines notions of femmephobia within queer communities, the various ways it is manifested, and the effects it has on gay Latinos. Because femmephobia is not an outgrowth nor confined to queer communities, connections to systems of oppression are made. Data stem from interviews and participation in a private social media page with gay Latino men. Through a narrative approach, students’ stories reveal that there is notable femmephobia at varying levels. Themes include: the downplaying of femininity, privileges and desirability of masculine men, the role of machismo and misogyny, and disinterest in femme men as a matter of “preference.” Implications for practice are offered, which are especially relevant to higher education practitioners as they look to support students in a time when queer communities are under attack at local and national levels.

Social evaluative implications of sensory adaptation to human voices.

People form social evaluations of others following brief exposure to their voices, and these impressions are calibrated based on recent perceptual experience. Participants adapted to voices with fundamental frequency (f o; the acoustic correlate of perceptual pitch) manipulated to be gender-typical (i.e. masculine men and feminine women) or gender-atypical (i.e. feminine men and masculine women) before evaluating unaltered test voices within the same sex. Adaptation resulted in contrastive aftereffects. Listening to gender-atypical voices caused female voices to sound more feminine and attractive (Study 1) and male voices to sound more masculine and attractive (Study 2). Studies 3a and 3b tested whether adaptation occurred on a conceptual or perceptual level, respectively. In Study 3a, perceivers adapted to gender-typical or gender-atypical voices for both men and women (i.e. adaptors pitch manipulated in opposite directions for men and women) before evaluating unaltered test voices. Findings showed weak evidence that evaluations differed between conditions. In Study 3b, perceivers adapted to masculinized or feminized voices for both men and women (i.e. adaptors pitch manipulated in the same direction for men and women) before evaluating unaltered test voices. In the feminized condition, participants rated male targets as more masculine and attractive. Conversely, in the masculinized condition, participants rated female targets as more feminine and attractive. Voices appear to be evaluated according to gender norms that are updated based on perceptual experience as well as conceptual knowledge.

Multiple Dimensions of Machismo: Linguistic Considerations for Latino Sexual Minority Men in the United States.

The literature differentiates between two domains of machismo: traditional machismo and caballerismo. Research has largely focused on measuring machismo among English speakers. We evaluated whether Estrada's (2011) 2-factor model of machismo was invariant across languages (English versus a direct Spanish translation). A series of multigroup confirmatory factor analyses were conducted between respondents who completed the survey in English (n = 428) and Spanish (n = 102). Analyses suggested the hypothesized 2-factor model did not fit across language groups. While the traditional 2-factor structure emerged in the English language data, exploratory factor analysis indicated a 3-factor structure of machismo among Spanish-speaking respondents. One of the new factors (inherent machismo), among Spanish-speaking respondents, was associated with Internalized Heterosexism, suggesting that the new factor structure may capture the belief that masculine men are superior. These findings suggest there is a need for the development of culturally appropriate Spanish language assessment.

Differential Evaluation of Straight and Gay Men for Nonverbal Effeminate Behavior.

The purpose of this study was to determine how violation of gender-based expectancies might influence straight men's attitudes toward men who differ by sexual orientation (i.e., straight or gay). This study was specifically designed to avoid methodological issues that may have been present in similar research. Hypotheses were informed by Expectancy-Violation Theory (EVT) and the Black Sheep Effect (BSE), which together suggest that an effeminate straight man should be evaluated by other straight men more negatively than an effeminate gay man because the former target negatively violated expectations. Additionally, EVT suggests that a masculine gay man should be evaluated more positively than a masculine straight man because the former positively violates expectations, while the BSE instead suggests the latter should be evaluated more positively than the former due to ingroup bias. Self-identified straight men evaluated a male target whose sexual orientation and gender conformity were manipulated through a photo and vignette. A moderated mediation analysis was performed to determine if perceived expectancy violation mediated the relationship between sexual orientation and evaluations for both effeminate and masculine men. Straight effeminate targets were evaluated more negatively than gay effeminate targets; however, straight masculine targets were evaluated more favorably than gay masculine targets, a finding more consistent with the BSE. In addition, perceived expectancy violation did not mediate the relationship between sexual orientation and evaluations regardless of gender expression. More research should be conducted to identify the mechanisms through which evaluations of straight and gay targets differ based on gender expression.

Older men and loneliness: a cross-sectional study of sex differences in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing

BackgroundResearch into men and masculinities suggests men may be more reluctant than women to state they are lonely, more reliant on partners/spouses and/or alcohol to tackle it, and that this may be a result of poorer social relationships. Ageing is often associated with loneliness, and research has indicated gendered results in older people, but existing evidence lacks generalisability and cultural context. This study tests hypotheses on sex differences in loneliness in older England-based men and women.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study using a sample of 6936 respondents aged 50 + from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (wave 8). Multiple imputation with chained equations was conducted to handle missing data. Multivariate regression was used to investigate the impact of sex on a direct question on loneliness whilst controlling for the University of California loneliness (UCLA) scale. Multivariate regression with interaction terms were used to examine sex differences in loneliness and alcohol consumption, partner status, and social relationships.ResultsOlder men were less likely than older women to state they are lonely even when controlling for UCLA score. Older men showed a greater association between loneliness and alcohol consumption, but only when measuring the number of units consumed in the last week, and not using a less precise measure of the past year. Older men who cohabited with a partner were less lonely than cohabiting older women, whereas previously married but not cohabiting older men were lonelier than their female counterparts. However, never married older men were less lonely than never married older women. Evidence was found to suggest older men’s worse friendships mediated this association, but social isolation and number of close relationships did not. Severe isolation predicted greater loneliness in older women, but not older men.ConclusionsCultural ideals of masculinity and older men’s poorer quality friendships may explain their reluctance to directly state loneliness, greater dependency on partners/spouses, and use of alcohol. Severely isolated older men may under-report loneliness on the UCLA scale as well as a direct question.

Critical Discourse Analysis on Male Product Advertisements

Beauty standard ideology or belief which is traditionally popularized by and through makeup products advertisement for women is not only influencing women across the globe but is now normalized in male products advertisements as well which convinces them to buy the product and which also has an impact on men’s belief of what an ideal masculine man is supposed to be. This study aims to find the “real man” standard ideology in male product advertisements. Moreover, the critical discourse analysis three-dimensional framework by Fairclough is applied in this research to show the “real man” ideology that is presented in male product advertisements especially the ones on social media where the latest ads can be found. Furthermore, we use descriptive qualitative research in analyzing and explaining 6 male products with a variety of types and brands. Data collection was carried out with structured interviews and advertisement observations. The findings of this study indicate that male product is very important to meet the main needs in overcoming problems in men. In addition, the main factor that is the reason for men to use male products is the demands of work or self-care, which is a representation of one's identity. According to the findings of this study, advertised men's products contain linguistic features that create ideology and manipulation for men, causing them to be interested in purchasing and using these products. Furthermore, men use these products because of stereotypes and public criteria for the appearance of a manly man.

Masculine Ideals and Health in Older Men: Findings From the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study.

How do older men's masculine ideals affect their health? Are masculine activities involved in this relationship? Masculine identity upholds beliefs about masculine enactment. These beliefs can be detrimental to men and can lead to behaviors that can put undue stress on them. We examine how masculine ideals are associated with health and depressive symptomatology in older men. We used 2011 data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (n = 2,594) to investigate how masculine ideals inform older men's health and how participation in masculine activities might shape these outcomes. Findings from this study illustrate that traditional masculine ideals are associated with worse self-rated health (SRH), greater chronic illness, and depressive symptomatology. For masculine activities, doing repairs and car maintenance was associated with less chronic illness and depression. Belonging to a senior men's group was associated with worse SRH, greater chronic illness, and greater depression. Therefore, older men's greater endorsement of traditional masculine ideals was generally associated with worse health, though certain masculine activities affected this relationship. We posit that more gender-equitable beliefs may be useful for improving the "men's health gap."

Toxic Masculinity di TikTok

This research see the social media that is a free place to express becomes the place which full of boundaries for men because of the demands to be a masculine men and to be accepted in society. This research is aimed to perceive the phenomenon of toxic masculinity in TikTok, and to discover the effects and the person who does the toxic masculinity. This research used netnography method with data analysis techniques through Atlas.ti and be strengthened by social construction of mass media by Peter L. Berger and Thomas Luckmann. This research was conducted by research dislocation in TikTok especially in hastag #toxicmasculinity. The results of this research are quite a lot of people who realize about the negative impact of toxic masculinity that can be seen by some related education contents. Lots of netizens who commented in those contents confessed that they got toxic masculinity directly and in cyber space by family, teachers, and friends. The results of content analysis also showed that the victims feel anxious, stress, and forced to run the male role, thus need to consult to psychologist and psychiatrist as the impact of toxic masculinity.

Real Men Do Good Sex: Black South African Masculinities in Men's Clinic International Adverts

This article focuses on the representations of black masculinities in television advertisements for Men's Clinic International, a popular franchise of clinics in South Africa that specialises in men's sexual and reproductive health. It explores the ideological assumptions underlying the various constructions of manhood portrayed in the adverts in relation to men's sexual health. Three interconnected themes emerged from the analysis of the texts, namely the centrality of the phallic, masculinity as a sexual performance and the nature and representation of femininities. The article discusses how the adverts work to portray models of black masculinity and male sexuality in such a way that “true” manhood is framed as heterosexual, monogamous, intertwined with male vulnerabilities, performance-based and largely dependent on the female partner's sexual satisfaction.

Bourgeois Accessories

Abstract In spite of middle-class men’s presumed absence from consumer culture during the nineteenth century, the role of consumerism in the articulation of patterns of masculinity is especially evident in the case of Catalonia. In industrial and metropolitan Barcelona, products often framed or thought of as “feminine”—such as clothing and fashion accessories—were also central to entrepreneurial masculinity and bourgeois men’s social mobility during the late nineteenth century. It is therefore unsurprising that the commercialization of menswear and masculine accessories was notable in the Catalan context, given what that region’s rapid urbanization owed to the manufacture, sale, and display of fashionable commodities ranging from jackets and shirts to walking sticks and home and office décor in small shops and department stores, particularly during the second half of the nineteenth century. By examining commercial ephemera produced and distributed in Barcelona, alongside theories of male homosociality and empire, this essay demonstrates how Spanish men—specifically Catalans—commercialized fantasies of bourgeois masculinity, thus contributing to the consolidation of cultures of consumption during the final decades of the nineteenth century. Visual representations of masculine accessories in department store catalogs, advertisements, and newspaper illustrations are analyzed to argue that bourgeois men, through their shared affective interactions with material accessories, branded Spain as a capitalist nation and, with their consumption of tobacco-related paraphernalia in particular, as an imperial power, even as that power was waning.

“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.

Precarious Manhood Beliefs Are Positively Associated with Erectile Dysfunction in Cisgender Men.

The notions that manhood is hard to attain, easy to lose, and needs to be proven via public action constitute precarious manhood beliefs (PMB). PMB is a new concept and it remains unclear whether and how PMB relate to erectile dysfunction (ED) in cisgender men. The ability to achieve an erection remains considered as a cornerstone of masculinity and sexual performance can be conceived as a proof of one's masculinity. In this context, ED can be received as sexual failure and a threat to a man's masculinity and sense of adequacy. For these reasons, the hypothesis that PMB are associated with ED warranted empirical testing. In an anonymous online survey focusing on men's mental health conducted in German-speaking countries of Europe, 507 cisgender men (Mage = 44.2, SDage = 15.2) completed measures on PMB, sexual function, self-stigma, social desirability, and conformity to traditional masculinity ideology (TMI). Multilinear regression analysis with stepwise introduction of relevant covariates evaluated potential associations between PMB and ED. Of a 507 cisgendered male sample, 63.1% reported an increased risk for ED based on previously established cutoff points. Elevated levels of PMB endorsement among the men predicted reduced sexual and erectile function in all models, even when accounting for relevant control variables such as age, education, self-stigma, social desirability, or conformity to TMI. Group comparisons revealed that the men suffering from ED showed higher levels of PMB endorsement but not self-stigma nor TMI relative to men without ED. PMB are significantly associated with ED. While determining causality will require further study, our results may support the hypothesis that higher levels of PMB endorsement may lead to increased tension to perform sexually, resulting in increased psychological pressure and a higher risk to develop ED.

Diabolical or Masculine Men? Opposing Views of Male Witches in Early Modern England

Diabolical or Masculine Men? Opposing Views of Male Witches in Early Modern England