Masculinity Studies Research Articles

Sizzling steaks and manly molds: Exploring the meanings of meat and masculinities in young men’s lives

Eating (red) meat and masculinity are historically and culturally associated, leading to the stereotype “real men eat meat” in western society. Existing literature primarily examines men’ motivations, justifications, and attitudes toward meat consumption; however, there is limited understanding of the themes that emerging adult men associate with their meat consumption and how these themes relate to their masculine identity. This study employed semi-structured interviews with thirty men aged 18 to 29, living in Flanders, Belgium. Through inductive analysis, we identified five meat themes (i.e. the topics men talk about when discussing their meat-eating behavior): “traditional cuisine”, “doing meat”, “fitness”, “taste”, and “meat ethics”. Subsequently, these themes were deductively connected to the frameworks of Wong and Wang’s (2022) model of masculinities and Piazza et al.’s (2015) 4N scale of meat justification to gain insight into the link between masculine identities and meat consumption. Finally, we formulated five “masculine meat identities”: “normative”, “performative”, “embodied”, “hedonistic” and “ethical” meat masculinities. Each identity reflects how men utilize meat, particularly red meat, for communicating and reinforcing their masculine identity, while also serving as a medium for expressing personal and social identities. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of how food, especially meat, operates as a means of communicating gender, bridging the disciplines of food and masculinities studies. Moreover, insights obtained from these masculine meat identities provide implications for public health, marketing, and policy. By tailoring strategies that resonate with diverse masculine identities, stakeholders can better align their initiatives with global health and sustainable objectives.

A Grounded Theory of Healthy Masculinity and Identity Reconceptualization

ABSTRACT Research related to masculine studies focuses largely on negative aspects of masculinity rather than highlighting possibilities of healthy masculine development. The aim of this study was to provide evidence that emerging social and cultural narratives are helping assist some men to become more emotionally healthy. This study used constructivist grounded theory tools to explore broader, non-dichotomous descriptions of male emotional development and vulnerability as shared by men reflecting on their own experience of navigating cultural expectations of masculinity. Data gathered from online discussions illustrate how many men are rejecting aspects of hegemonic masculinity in favor of more positive traits, including attempts to be both strong and vulnerable. Results of this study can inform approaches to individual therapy, couples therapy, other intervention programs, and public health work for men who are seeking to develop or improve their emotional vulnerability. Specific benefits may include applications in domestic violence reduction and gender equality.

“Someone Who Is Going to Preserve Your Surname and Clan Name”: A Sesotho Cultural Perspective on Male Partner Involvement in Maternal and Newborn Care in the Free State, South Africa

In the global public health discourse, involving men in maternal and neonatal health is regarded as crucial for positive outcomes in both health and development. In South Africa, health interventions designed to promote male partner involvement among low-income indigenous populations have been framed within social constructivist notions of masculinities and have produced mixed outcomes. This has necessitated calls to explore alternative approaches, including the need to decolonise men and masculinities studies in Africa. As part of one phase of formative research for a mixed-method project aimed at adapting a male involvement intervention for the context of Sesotho-speaking men and women in the Free State, we applied a multi-site case study research design and collected qualitative data using focus group discussions and key informant interviews. Verbatim-recorded transcripts were translated, transcribed, and thematically analysed with NVIVO 14. The results indicate that customary practices in pregnancy, delivery, and newborn care are not static and vary between families based on belief systems, socioeconomic status, geographical setting (peri-urban/rural), and kinship networks of care. Therefore, these practices and beliefs should be understood, affirmed, and contested within the complex African-centred material and immaterial worldviews on personhood in which they were generated, transmitted, rejected, or adopted. It is recommended that a decolonised approach to male partner involvement in this context must be cognisant of the intersections of racial and gendered power relations, contestations in beliefs and practices, the resilient effect of colonialism on indigenous gender systems, as well as contemporary global entanglements that inform North–South power relations on the best practices in maternal and newborn health in the public health sector in South Africa.

Insuring masculinity: negotiating reproductive vulnerability and control through sperm storage

ABSTRACT Cryopreservation of sperm dates to the 1950s. Today, private sperm banks and fertility clinics cryopreserve sperm for private customers for all kinds of reasons. Little is known, however, of why individual men cryopreserve their sperm. The invisibility of the existing practices of sperm storage is mirrored in the ethnographic literature. Based on qualitative interviews with 30 men, this article analyzes how talking about sperm storage invokes imaginaries of masculinity shaped by reproductive vulnerability and control. Drawing on critical men and masculinity studies and feminist science and technology studies, we show that well-known imaginaries of masculinity and sexuality are reproduced, yet they are also reconfigured and displaced in surprising ways. When men talk about their sperm storage, they draw on imaginaries of masculinity that exceed future reproduction and control. To these men, sperm storage becomes a techno-scientific insurance that helps them manage their reproductive vulnerabilities.

On the future of the psychological study of men and masculinities: A developmental perspective.

On the future of the psychological study of men and masculinities: A developmental perspective.

Sisters, Bottoms, and “Exotic Combo”: Homonormative Misogyny and Respectable Masculinity of Middle-Class Gay Sex Workers in Hong Kong

This article brings together queer studies and masculinities studies to discuss how middle-class gay sex workers in Hong Kong manage the stigma of same-sex sex work. Based on 11 months of ethnographic fieldwork in a gay erotic massage parlor in Hong Kong, I examine how middle-class gay sex workers in Hong Kong deploy locally specific notions about gender, class, and border to mitigate their anxiety about sex work and to establish a form of gay masculinity. The middle-class gay masseurs claim a respectable self through narrating multiple disrespectable others—women streetwalker, bottom masseur, and lower-class migrant sex worker. In everyday banter, satire, and bawdy jokes around these three figures, masseurs invoke homonormativity through misogynistic discourses about migrant women, femininity, effeminacy, and penetration. In so doing, they simultaneously produce gay masculinity and gay misogyny, a process I term “homonormative misogyny.” In neoliberal Hong Kong, this form of gay respectability politics is emergent in an increasingly gentrified sexual economy.

Transforming harmful representations, investigating violence and empowering care practises in masculinities.

Stemming from a critical perspective of feminist studies on masculinities, this article proposes to explore how dominant and hegemonic masculinities are being reimagined, renegotiated and reconstructed, by understanding new patterns of violence amongst boys, on the one hand; and how care, as the opposite of violence, and a concept in construction from a feminist perspective, can be adopted, put in practise and understood. From a feminist standpoint masculinities studies need to go through a renewed problematisation of the social constructions of masculinities in a space-time context that intersects the economic crisis, health crisis and, on the other hand, implementation of legislation and initiatives for gender equality and citizenship, and is marked by social challenges that are related to the increase of gender inequality, violence indicators and extremism but also the emergence of caring masculinities that need closer attention. This feminist approach to masculinities allows us to critically challenge hegemonic models of boyhood/manhood, specifically by developing a FEMINIST THEORY OF CARING MASCULINITIES. Through a critical understanding of the new patterns and ways in which patriarchal masculinities are perpetuated in society, and placing CARE as the centrepiece and pro-active practise that opposes violence sustained models of masculinities, feminist masculinities studies can challenge dominant forms of masculinity by taking action in diverse social contexts and emphasising empathy, emotional expression, and cooperative relationships.

Violence and hegemonic masculinities in Timor-Leste – on the challenges of using theoretical frameworks in conflict-affected societies

ABSTRACT Research on men, masculinities, and of men’s violences has multiplied recently, as have violence-prevention initiatives, especially in conflict-affected societies. Drawing on my experiences of working on violence prevention as well as of conducting research with men in violence-prone groups in post-conflict Timor-Leste, I reflect on the practical and conceptual challenges of this work. Key concepts from Critical Studies of Men and Masculinities (CSMM) were helpful in part but were challenged by the lived realities and narratives of the men I interviewed. Common conflations of violence and hegemonic masculinity proved less-than straightforward. Perhaps inevitably, this work carried with it an element of epistemic violence, of outside concepts being imposed by a privileged me upon my research subjects through my interpretation of their lives. Given how central engaging with ‘violent masculinities’ should be to gender-transformative peacebuilding, these challenges speak to broader questions of the possibilities of social change and ethical questions involved.

The Critical Study of Masculinities in Old English Literature

The Critical Study of Masculinities in Old English Literature

Youth Masculinities in Eastern Nepal

Abstract The study of men and masculinity is receiving increased attention within South Asia generally, and Nepal specifically. Within this emerging empirical context, this article analyzes the findings of a study undertaken by the UK NGO Saferworld in collaboration with two Nepali NGOs in Eastern Nepal in 2014. This qualitative study used a range of methods, including the participatory learning and reflections approach involving young men aged 16–25 years. Alongside gendered opportunities through negotiating their (young) masculinities, our young male participants felt significant pressures, confusion, and even frustrations. Our article considers changing expectations and opportunities with regard to gender equality and in gender roles, contributing unique insights into the performance of youth masculinities in post-conflict (post 2006) Nepal.

Taming Muslim Masculinity: Patriarchy and Christianity in German Immigrant Integration

This article analyzes a growing sector of state-funded pedagogies designed to reform Muslim masculinity in Germany. These programs present Muslim men as suffering from a psychopathology rooted in an alleged Islamic “honor culture”. They rely on a mix of Christian and non-religious welfare providers to supply Muslim youth with alternative masculine role models. We trace three implications of this arrangement: First, these programs' culturalist approach perpetuates Orientalist hierarchizations of masculinity. Second, the de-Islamized masculinity these programs construct as normatively binding revolves around a heteronormative patriarchy imagined as benevolent, thereby reinforcing the subjection of women. Third, these educational initiatives yoke the reform of Muslim masculinity to male participants' dramatic conversion to a Christian-German culture that blurs the line between the religious and the nonreligious. We suggest that studies of (hegemonic) masculinity in Europe ought to attend to the salience of the nation-state and to the public relevance of Christianity—two dimensions given short shrift in recent theorizing.

Transformative Masculinity within Interreligious Organizations: Case Studies from Bali and Sidoarjo, Indonesia

Women's involvement in the Forum of Religious Harmony (Forum Kerukunan Umat Beragama - FKUB) is still rare. However, some FKUBs exhibit openness to women’s engagement. This study examines whether women’s involvement in the FKUB challenges the dominant beliefs and behaviors within religious groups and whether their involvement creates possibilities for change and contestation. Using a case study on the FKUB Bali and Sidoarjo and leveraging the theory from gender and masculinity studies to help frame the analysis, the study revealed two strategies used to involve women, which included forming a separate entity exclusively for women and developing an expanded familial framework inside FKUB. The findings also show that women's involvement is encouraged without altering the current structures. However, this study also discovered that the transformative masculinity exhibited by certain chairpersons contributed to the implementation of these strategies. They were strongly dedicated to gender equality, advocated for women's empowerment and involvement, and prioritized sustainable dispute resolution development. This study highlights the potential to expand research to include more cases, providing deeper insight into inclusion strategies and the role of transformative masculinity in progress toward gender equality._______________The original draft of this article has been presented at the 23rd Annual International Conference on Islamic Studies (AICIS), February 1-4, 2024, at Universitas Islam Negeri Walisongo Semarang, Indonesia.

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.

Australian men's help-seeking intentions for anxiety symptoms: The impact of masculine norm conformity and gender role conflict

Research highlights a discrepancy between the number of men experiencing mental illness and those seeking professional help, particularly for anxiety. Conformity to masculine norms (CMN) and gender role conflict (GRC) have been recognised as barriers to men's mental health help-seeking, but few studies have examined these relationships for anxiety. This study aimed to examine the relationship between anxiety severity and help-seeking intentions in Australian men, and the additional impact of CMN and GRC. A total of 610 Australians aged 18–89 years (M = 46.02, SD = 17.14) participated in an online survey, which included demographic information and four standardised questionnaires measuring anxiety, help-seeking intentions, CMN, and GRC. CMN but not GRC was found to fully mediate the relationship between anxiety severity and anxiety-related help-seeking intentions. The results have theoretical implications for the study of masculinity and clinical implications for therapeutic approaches for men with anxiety symptoms.

Killing with care? The potentials at the sustainability/masculinity nexus in an ‘alternative’ Danish slaughterhouse

AbstractIn this paper we investigate the connection between forms of sustainability and masculinity through a study of everyday life in a Danish alternative slaughterhouse. In contrast to the predominant form of slaughterhouses today in Western contexts, the ‘alternative’ slaughterhouse is characterized as non-industrial in scale and articulating some form of a sustainability orientation. Acknowledging the variability of the term, we firstly explore how ‘sustainability’ is understood and practiced in this place. We then illuminate the situated manifestations of masculinities, which appear predominantly- though not exclusively- hegemonic in nature. We next reflect on how the situated and particular sustainability of this site come to bear on a workplace long characterized as a masculinized site of, e.g., violence and repression, showing how the sustainability of the alternative slaughterhouse has potential to nourish alternative masculinities. We finally call for more attention at this nexus of sustainability and masculinities studies, to examine how the broad sustainability turn in food systems needs to be further examined in relation to what masculinities it perpetuates, as well as how a focus on masculinities may enhance our understanding of varying forms of sustainability, especially their potential for ecologically and socially just food systems.

Slippages in the Application of Hegemonic Masculinity: A Case Study of Incels

Although an important theoretical tool within the field of critical study of men and masculinities, mishandling of Connell’s theory of multiple masculinities and subsequent developments frequently overlooks the relational and legitimizing components central to the hegemonic masculine construct, producing conceptual ‘slippage’. This case study demonstrates such misapplication, examining four investigations within the emerging field of research concerning the antifeminist masculine performances and ideological constructs associated with involuntary celibates (incels). Each study lacks acknowledgement and demonstration of the political mechanics of relational legitimacy that define hegemonic masculinity, producing, instead, trait analyses of non-hegemonic dominant or dominating masculine behaviour resting on fixed, often toxic character types. As novel and emergent communities of men receive scholarly attention, it is important researchers heed repeated attempts to guide correct use of theory by engaging with the history and evolution of employed concepts.

Thoughts Turned to Jesus (or someone very probably, almost certainly, clearly somewhat like him) on Reading Crossley and Myles, Jesus

Abstract This essay is an extended review of, and engagement with, James Crossley and Robert J. Myles’s Jesus: A Life in Class Conflict (2023). The review particularly commends them for a work which addresses the difficult question of whether one is able to recover an ‘historical’ figure from tradition, and notes that effort, in many ways, becomes a compelling form of reception criticism. It notes, as well, some key places for future consideration (e.g., the implications of their work for masculinity studies).

Dislodging the hegemony of the white epistemological frame

In South African public discourse, the concept of gender appears to be cognate with the category of woman. Given the presence of masculinity studies in South Africa, the normative view of gender does include both men and women, but in the South African public discourse, gender is still largely cognate with woman. Accordingly, I am interested in this conceptual disconnect between gender and men, specifically within the Black community. Although this disconnect is attributed to the distribution of opportunities and the prevalence of gender-based violence, both said to largely disadvantage women, I contend that this disconnect is possible because of liberalism’s concealment of anti-Black racism, producing epistemic blindness. In other words, the juridical incorporation of Black people into liberalism not only masked the reality of their ontological domination, it imposed a narrow epistemic trajectory over the concept of ‘gender’. As such, while anti-Black racism is considered non-hegemonic, the gender struggle assumed the fundamental contradiction of the liberal democratic order. However, the gendering of Black people in the 1994 dispensation has a differential impact between Black men and Black women, enabling the latter to capitalise on the concealment of anti-Black racism while the former are crippled by the colonial legacy of Blackness.

Examining Masculinities and Femininity in Tennessee William’s A Streetcar Named Desire

Examining A Streetcar Named Desire through the lens of Gender and Masculinity Studies is an academically enriching and intriguing pursuit. The play, first performed on Broadway in 1947, continues to captivate with its portrayal of the characters of Stanley and Blanche. Stanley’s aggressive masculinity is pitted against the frailty of Blanche, leading to her breakdown and her ultimate escape into the unreal world of fantasy. This study aims to identify different types of masculinities; from Allan Grey’s closeted identity to Stanley Kowalsky's toxic masculinity, and how each affects Blanche Du Bois. It is intriguing to explore whether her distraught emotional state is entirely due to Stanley’s bestial toxicity or whether she is also a victim of femininity which is synonymous with frailty, beauty, and obsession with eternal youth. R.W. Connell’s Masculinities (1995,2005), and Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique (1963) have been used as a framework to evaluate the male and female characters in the play.

Masculinities to Trans-femininities: Evidence through the “Girl” Film

This study aims to explore the life journey of a man who wants to become a transfeminist woman through the perspective of masculinity studies. This study uses a qualitative method. The results of this study are as follows. First, Lara as a transfeminist made psychological changes by making herself a graceful figure, changing her love desires by loving men, and having aspirations of becoming a ballerina so that she is like a natural woman. Second, Lara as a transfeminist made physical changes to become a normal woman by wearing earrings and women's clothes, cooking, doing feminizing hormone therapy to grow breasts, and planning to do a sex reassignment surgery to have a vagina. Third, from the aspect of attitude, Lara's family that supports Lara's transformation from male to female has become a controversy. However, in society, Lara, who is a transfeminist, is still controversial and not everyone accepts the presence of transfeminism/LGBT. This can be seen in how society bullies and sexually harasses her. In the end, Lara, who was assigned as a male, actually turned into a female.