Social Construction Of Masculinity Research Articles

Gender socialization and adolescent pregnancies in Togo.

The aim of this article is to understand the significance of the gender socialisation of adolescents and its impact on sexuality. This socio-anthropological study is based on qualitative surveys conducted as part of two action-research programmes implemented between 2018 and 2022 in Togo. The empirical data comes from individual semi-directed interviews, group interviews and life stories relating to the themes of sexuality, early pregnancy and gender-based violence. The results show that in these patriarchal societies, the socialisation of adolescents is structured around gender relations. The social construction of masculinity is based on a position of decision-making power for young boys, while that of femininity inculcates submissive behaviour in young girls. In these contexts, many young girls, even if they do attend school, find it difficult to express their opinions on matters of love and sex.

Social Perceptions of Masculinity and Sexual Esteem Are Impacted by Viagra Use, Testosterone, and Sexual Performance.

Sexual behaviors play a role in the social construction of masculinity. Moreover, this stereotype has been capitalized upon by pharmaceutical companies, as well as those that sell products not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, for purposes of marketing sexual medicines. Stereotypical notions of masculinity, however, also emphasize the importance of self-reliance, which may cause some to look unfavorably upon the use of sexual medicine. Consistent with this notion, a male target was viewed as more masculine when his female partner consistently reached orgasm, unless he had no history of erectile dysfunction (ED), but was taking Viagra anyway (Experiment 1; N = 522). In addition, when his partner consistently reached orgasm, ratings of his sexual esteem were also lower if he used Viagra than if he did not, but only if he had no history of ED. In Experiment 2 (N = 711), although there was no effect of a male target's use of testosterone, social perception of his masculinity and sexual esteem increased as his "natural" levels of testosterone increased. In addition, exploratory analysis revealed that if the male target had low (but not normal or high) "natural" levels of testosterone, ratings of his masculinity were higher if his female partner consistently had an orgasm, which suggests that female orgasm served to "rescue" masculinity. Because expectations about drugs drive their use, it is important to address preconceived notions about the use of sexual medicines for purposes of enhancing masculinity and sexual esteem, as the social perception of their use is much more complex.

PERCEPÇÕES REFLEXIVAS SOBRE A PRESENÇA DE PROFESSORES NA EDUCAÇÃO INTANTIL: DESAFIOS E PERSPECTIVAS

This paper focuses on reflective perceptions about the presence of male teachers in Early Childhood Education, exploring the challenges and perspectives related to this issue. The research seeks to analyze the male presence in Early Childhood Education teaching, its challenges and perspectives, reflecting on how this presence can influence the quality of teaching and the development of children. This is because our hypothesis is to reflect on the importance of the presence of male teachers in the education of young children, considering gender diversity and the construction of an inclusive and equal education. The methodology used in this study is qualitative in nature, based on a bibliographical review and content analysis of articles, books and documents related to the topic. Renowned authors such as Paulo Freire, Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky, Carlos Brandão, Heywood and Kuhlmann were considered, who contributed to understanding the presence of teachers in Early Childhood Education and to the concept of reflective teaching, which discusses inclusive and equal education. The main references used in this research deal with teacher training, the importance of gender diversity in Early Childhood Education, critical reflection on gender stereotypes and the social construction of masculinity. Also noteworthy are the works of Pimenta and Ghedin who discuss reflective teaching as an important pedagogical approach to encourage teachers to question their practices and reflect on their conceptions. In addition, our study is qualitative in nature and is based on participant research, the data collected from which was also based on the application of a questionnaire to the participants. As a result, we concluded that the presence of teachers in Early Childhood Education is fundamental to promoting quality education, under the reference of “reflective teaching”, when teachers are encouraged to develop a critical and reflective stance in their pedagogical practice, contributing to the construction of a more equal and respectful education. However, there are still challenges to be faced, such as deconstructing gender stereotypes and valuing diversity in the composition of the teaching staff for Early Childhood Education, which suggests a time for reflection, which includes other and new perspectives for the presence of teachers in classes of young children.

PERCEPÇÕES REFLEXIVAS SOBRE A PRESENÇA DE PROFESSORES NA EDUCAÇÃO INTANTIL: DESAFIOS E PERSPECTIVAS

This paper focuses on reflective perceptions about the presence of male teachers in Early Childhood Education, exploring the challenges and perspectives related to this issue. The research seeks to analyze the male presence in Early Childhood Education teaching, its challenges and perspectives, reflecting on how this presence can influence the quality of teaching and the development of children. This is because our hypothesis is to reflect on the importance of the presence of male teachers in the education of young children, considering gender diversity and the construction of an inclusive and equal education. The methodology used in this study is qualitative in nature, based on a bibliographical review and content analysis of articles, books and documents related to the topic. Renowned authors such as Paulo Freire, Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky, Carlos Brandão, Heywood and Kuhlmann were considered, who contributed to understanding the presence of teachers in Early Childhood Education and to the concept of reflective teaching, which discusses inclusive and equal education. The main references used in this research deal with teacher training, the importance of gender diversity in Early Childhood Education, critical reflection on gender stereotypes and the social construction of masculinity. Also noteworthy are the works of Pimenta and Ghedin who discuss reflective teaching as an important pedagogical approach to encourage teachers to question their practices and reflect on their conceptions. In addition, our study is qualitative in nature and is based on participant research, the data collected from which was also based on the application of a questionnaire to the participants. As a result, we concluded that the presence of teachers in Early Childhood Education is fundamental to promoting quality education, under the reference of “reflective teaching”, when teachers are encouraged to develop a critical and reflective stance in their pedagogical practice, contributing to the construction of a more equal and respectful education. However, there are still challenges to be faced, such as deconstructing gender stereotypes and valuing diversity in the composition of the teaching staff for Early Childhood Education, which suggests a time for reflection, which includes other and new perspectives for the presence of teachers in classes of young children.

Formative Spaces of Empire: Masculinities and Outdoor Experiences ca. 1860–1960

ABSTRACT This special issue integrates gender analysis into the global history of outdoor activities in the Age of Empire by focusing on masculinities, a field that has received renewed attention from scholars. The premise of the special issue is that social constructions of masculinities in imperial settings functioned twofold. They operated simultaneously as methods to spread Western-colonial hegemonic values and as a means to expand territorial domains into far-off lands. In examining outdoor experiences, without taking the dominance of ‘imperial’ men over non-Europeans for granted, the contributions here presented develop an intersectional understanding of the conditions in which fashioning and self-perception of masculine roles were constantly contested and negotiated. Outdoor experiences, as seen in this special issue, were formative spaces of empire: while made possible thanks to the wide imperial networks in the colonial world, they existed on the margins of imperial rule. At the ‘frontier’ and in colonial battle-grounds, but also as leisure or free-time activities in transcultural contexts, outdoor experiences served to transform boys into men, and for men to test and perform hegemonic ideas of manhood and hence of imperial power. The essays are in two sections that highlight the dual processes of being and becoming ‘manly’ in the imperial outdoors. The first four contributions focus on archetypical roles of adult men in empires: the mountaineer, the hunter, the sportsman and the soldier. The second section approaches cases of scouting as formative spaces for boys in contexts of decolonisation in the early 1900s. The case-studies included in this special issue cover multiple imperial formations from the American Midwest, the Middle East to the British and Dutch Indies. These diverse cases serve to open up often Anglo-centric historiographies of gender and empire by emphasising the global momentum of new masculinities that were embedded in a trans-imperial fashion between ca. 1860 and 1960.

Nma nwoke (“Man's Beauty”)

Abstract Since the 1980s, low male enrollment in secondary schools has been observed in Anambra State in southeast Nigeria. Previous studies largely attribute the phenomenon to a masculine drive toward the quick accumulation of material wealth. This article draws on two primary qualitative studies conducted in the state in 2012 and 2020 and on Bourdieu's notion of habitus to discuss how the local construction of masculinity and social expectations influence boys’ aspirations and preferences and contribute to their decision to drop out of high school. Participants were both males and females who dropped out of school of high school or who did not enroll in high school before entering the workforce. While economic factors are central to males’ disengagement from school, they are underpinned by demands and pressures associated with the social construction of masculinity. Material wealth is seen as a symbol of a man's beauty (nma nwoke). Policy and intervention programmes are needed to mitigate societal pressures on boys in Anambra State.

The Routledge Handbook of Mormonism and Gender

The Routledge Handbook of Mormonism and Gender

Masculinities and self-perceived risk of contracting STIs among young men in Stockholm, Sweden

Abstract Background Risk perception is a key factor influencing young men’s health-seeking behavior for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) detection. Men’s risk perception could be influenced by gendered norms embedded in social constructions of masculinities. However, the association between different domains of traditional masculinities and young men’s risk perception - which is key to inform effective health interventions - has not been studied yet. This study aimed to test if young men’s endorsement of different traditional masculinities forms were associated with current self-perceived risk of contracting STIs among young men in Stockholm, Sweden. Methods A population-based cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2018 in Stockholm (N = 521 men aged 20-29 years). The Conformity to Masculinity Norms Inventory 46-items tool was used to measure different traditional masculinity domains (Winning, Emotional control, Risk taking, Violence, Playboy, Self-reliance, Primacy of work, Power over women and Heterosexual self-presentation) and overall masculinity. Adjusted multinomial logistic regressions tested the associations between masculinities (overall and each domain) and self-perceived risk of contracting STIs. Results Any self-perceived risk of contracting STIs was reported by 39.5% of the sample. After adjusting for confounding factors, endorsing any traditional masculinity behavior was associated with reporting any perceived risk of contracting STIs (RRR 4.9; 95% CI 2.4-10.0). Among the domains, Playboy showed the strongest association (RRR 3.6; 95% CI 2.5-5.1), followed by Risk taking (RRR 1.8; 95% CI 1.3-2.5). Conclusions Young men who endorse traditional masculinities behaviors have higher self-perceived risk of contracting STIs, especially those endorsing playboy and risk-taking norms. These findings highlight the need to design policies challenging traditional masculinity behaviors among young Swedish men that can be underpinning their self-perceived STIs risk. Key messages • Endorsement of playboy (willingness to have casual sexual partners) and risk taking (willingness to be exposed to risk) masculinity norms were associated with perceiving any risk of contracting STIs. • Policies challenging traditional masculinity norms among young Swedish men can be designed to influence behaviors underpinning the self-perceived risk for STIs in this group.

Examining Militarized Masculinity, Violence and Conflict: Male Survivors of Torture in International Politics

The article analyses how masculine social norms shape the idea of survivors/victims in International Politics. It will conceptually analyse how masculine social norms have been normalised through militarism and militarized masculinity in international politics. In this process, it will locate how international politics has conceived male survivors of sexualised torture. It will use a gender lens in understanding the discourse and practice of torture in armed conflicts. It argues that there exists a gender-based binary in the way victimhood in conflict situations has been perceived in international politics where victims are generally seen to be women and the perpetrators are men. It uses a critical feminist perspective in problematizing the essentialist gender-based binary between victims and perpetrators of violence particularly sexual and gender-based violence. There exists silence in international politics in the ways that male victims of sexualised torture during conflict situations have been perceived in international politics. This silence reflects the power of social construction of masculinity in international politics. The silence is manifested in the way sexual and gender-based violence on men and boys in conflict situations have been often seen under the broad rubrics of torture which overlooks the sexual harm involved in the practice.

Popular Religious Traditions, British Military Recruitment and the Social Construction of Masculinity in Colonial Haryana

It is generally assumed that colonial institutions and ideologies shaped the contours of masculinity in British India. This paper explores endogenous factors and attempts to supplement as well as contest such approaches and interpretations which claim that masculinity in India was a colonial construction. The emphasis is on folk traditions, religious customs, qaumi (folk) tales and physical culture akh???s (gymnasia) among the Jats in colonial Haryana,1 which went into the making of dominant masculinity in this region. The paper draws upon vernacular language materials and newspapers to analyse the different ways in which the socially endogenous forces constructed this masculinity. It argues that a complex interaction of popular religious traditions, qaumi narratives, military recruitment, marital caste designation, ownership of land, superior caste behaviour and strong bodily physique came to ideologically link and construct dominant masculinity in colonial Haryana.

Troops and Tribes: Masculinity, Playing Indian, and the Social Politics of Ernest Thompson Seton's Expulsion from the Boy Scouts of America

Troops and Tribes: Masculinity, Playing Indian, and the Social Politics of Ernest Thompson Seton's Expulsion from the Boy Scouts of America

Perceptions of gay black men on the social construction of masculinity and its role in mental health

Introduction: The meaning and experience of masculinity differs across people and groups, and previous research has demonstrated that such differences are reflected in mental health outcomes. For gay Black men situated at the intersection of identifying as both a sexual minority and a racial minority, navigating the norms and expectations associated with masculinity often presents many challenges. Methodology: This phenomenological study explored how 17 gay Black men ranging in age from 26 to 67 years, who live in a major city in the southeastern region of the United States, define, understand, and experience masculinity, as well as their perceptions about its connection to their mental health and well-being. Results: Participant narratives reflected a strong consensus that masculinity is a social construction that is associated with a range of both limiting and liberating characteristics and experiences, and that has strong implications for mental health. Conclusions: Increased awareness and understanding of the relevance of a masculine identity to the mental health and well-being of gay Black men can help provide more appropriate and more compassionate mental health programs and services that are likely to promote service utilization among members of this community.

The Influence of Masculinity and the Moderating Role of Religion on the Workplace Well-Being of Factory Workers in China.

This paper explores how the intersection of masculinity and religion shapes workplace well-being by focusing on Christianity and the social construction of masculinity among factory workers in a city in China. While existing work on public and occupational health has respectively acknowledged masculinity’s influences on health and the religious and spiritual dimensions of well-being, there have been limited efforts to examine how variegated, and especially religious, masculinities influence people’s well-being in the workplace. Drawing on ethnography and in-depth interviews with 52 factory workers and 8 church leaders and factory managers, we found that: (1) Variegated masculinities were integrated into the factory labor regime to produce docile and productive bodies of workers. In particular, the militarized and masculine cultures in China’s factories largely deprived workers of their dignity and undermined their well-being. These toxic masculinities were associated with workers’ depression and suicidal behavior. (2) Christianity not only provided social and spiritual support for vulnerable factory workers, but also enabled them to construct a morally superior Christian manhood that phytologically empowered them and enhanced their resilience to exploitation. This paper highlights not only the gender mechanism of well-being, but also the ways religion mediates the social-psychological construction of masculinity.

Utilizing the Delphi Method to Assess Issues of Sexuality for Men Living with Spinal Cord Injury

This study investigated the physical and psychological issues of sexuality for men after spinal cord injury and identified areas of top concern. Using the Delphi Method, a panel of expert judges (twenty men with spinal cord injury [SCI], C3-T12, age 26–59) completed a series of three questionnaires in an attempt to reach a consensus on previously identified issues. It was agreed that SCI affects physical and psychosocial aspects of sexuality and that sexual support is limited for exploring sexuality post-SCI. Additionally, insight into the social constructs of masculinity, gender roles, body image and disability and their influence on the sexual experiences of this population is provided. Enhancing patient, healthcare provider and societal awareness of sexuality for men after spinal cord injury should be an immediate area of focus to improve sexual and overall quality of life for this population.

Production and reception of Fathers' construction of their daughter’s sexuality on Twitter

ABSTRACT Research has found humour and gender to be linked (Davies, 2006, Gendered sense of humor as expressed through aesthetic typifications. Journal of Pragmatics, 38(1), 96–113. doi:10.1016/j.pragma.2005.06.006; Kotthoff 2006, Gender and humor: The state of the art. Journal of pragmatics, 38(1), 4–25. doi:10.1016/j.pragma.2005.06.003), specifically within languages/cultures (see Thielemann, 2011, Displays of’ new’ gender arrangements in Russian jokes. In M. Dynel (Ed.), The pragmatics of humour across discourse domains (pp. 147–172). John Benjamins, for jokes in Russian). In this respect, women are often subject of jokes and, in some cases, this reproduces the gendered imbalance of suitable roles in private and public spaces. In this paper, I examine the message of two jokes told by Italian fathers policing their daughters’ sexuality, as well as the interactions between myself and these fathers on Twitter. Using Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis (Lazar, 2007, Feminist critical discourse analysis: Articulating a feminist discourse praxis. Critical Discourse Studies, 4(2), 141–164. doi:10.1080/17405900701464816; Lazar, 2018, Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis. In J. Flowerdew, & E. J. Richardson (Eds.), The Routledge Handbook of Critical Discourse Studies (pp. 372–387). Routledge), Social Media Critical Discourse Studies (KhosraviNik, 2018, Social Media Critical Discourse Studies (SM-CDS). In J. Flowerdew, & E. J. Richardson (Eds.), The Routledge Handbook of Critical Discourse Studies (pp. 582–596). Routledge) and through adapting a framework designed to approach sexist jokes (Sunderland, 2007, Contradictions in gendered discourses: feminist readings of sexist jokes? Gender & Language, 1(2), 207–228. doi:10.1558/genl.v1i2.207), I discuss: (a) the ‘who/what the text is about’, and (b) a desire to a traditional fatherhood emerging from the interactions in it’s just banter and the good and happy father. Specifically, I discuss fatherhood as linked to an ontological desire (Kiesling, 2011, The interactional construction of desire as gender. Gender and Language, 5(2), 213–239. doi:10.1558/genl.v5i2.213) in connection to an alleged transition from old to new fatherhood (Cannito 2019, Beyond ‘Traditional’ and ‘New’: An Attempt of Redefinition of Contemporary Fatherhoods through Discursive Practices and Practices of Care. Men and Masculinities, 1–19; Magaraggia, 2013, Tensions between fatherhood and the social construction of masculinity in Italy. Current Sociology, 61(1), 76–92. doi:10.1177/0011392112464231) in Italy.

THE RICHARD'S MASCULINITY IN FILM LOVE FOR SALE 1

This research focuses on the masculinity of a male character named Richard Achmad in the film Love for Sale 1 directed by Andibachtiar Yusuf. The purpose of this study was to determine the social construction of men depicted in the masculinity of Richard's character. This type of research is qualitative research with the technique of collecting Saturated Sampling data. Observation and Literature Study method as a data collection method. Data analysis uses Interactive Data Analysis including data reduction, data display and conclusion drawing / verification. The reading of John Beynon's masculinity is used as an approach to find the masculinity in Richard's character. The results showed that the male social construction built in the film Love for Sale 1 is a representative of the social construction picture that exists in real life. There are similarities in the social construction of masculinity between Richard's character in the film Love for Sale 1 and in real life.

“It’s not girly”: Rural service providers’ perceptions of fathering, masculinities, and intersectionality

Fathers who are positively involved in families during early childhood tend to contribute to positive outcomes for children. Federal policies and initiatives have been implemented to promote father involvement and positive parenting, specifically for parents who may experience identifiable risk factors such as poverty and parenting stress. Understanding service providers’ perceptions of father engagement and strategies used to target services to fathers can inform policy and programs. Sensitized by symbolic interactionism and intersectionality theory, using grounded theory methods, eighteen service providers who provide services to families of infants living in Appalachia were interviewed to examine (a) current service providers’ perceptions of engaging fathers in home visiting programs that target parents of infants in a rural population and (b) service providers’ social constructions of fathering, masculinities, and discrimination. A conceptual model emerged from service providers’ interviews revealing an intersectional matrix of interactions with social institutions, representing how service providers’ delivery of targeted services to fathers are informed by (1) social constructions of masculinity and fathering, (2) social locations of rural fathers, and (3) knowledge and awareness of structures of power. Future programs can address the resulting barriers to father engagement in programs by taking an intersectional approach to programming and training. Future research should investigate this model with other populations to confirm the utility of using this conceptual model to examine the direct services provided to fathers.

O ser-com-o-outro na condição sorodiscordante: uma abordagem fenomenológica da vulnerabilidade individual ao HIV

Compreendera sorodiscordância e a vulnerabilidade individual ao HIV nas relações de ser-com-o-outro sorodiscordante. Estudo qualitativo, ancorado na Fenomenologia Hermenêutica de Martin Heidegger. Participaram do estudo oito pacientes soropositivos e suas parcerias sorodiscordantes, totalizando 16 participantes. A entrevista foi o instrumento utilizado para obtenção das narrativas vividas pelos casais. Os conceitos fenomenológicos de “ser-com” e “ser-no-mundo”, descritos por Heidegger, permitiu que os sentidos e significados relacionados ao fenômeno da sorodiscordância fossem evidenciados de forma detalhada. As construções sociais de masculinidade, a reduzida capacidade do casal em negociar prática de sexo seguro, o uso da terapia antiretroviral como fator de proteção ao HIV acrescidos das influências culturais foram evidenciados como as principais situações de vulnerabilidade individual da existência sorodiscordante. A compreensão do significado existencial de ser-casal-sorodiscordante, segundo a estrutura ontológica “ser-um-com-o-outro” instiga mudanças da práxis do enfermeiro, oportunizando um atendimento diferenciado e integral ao casal sorodiscordante.

Heterosexual relationships among young black men in the construction of masculinity at a South African university

ABSTRACTDrawing on interviews conducted with young men residing in a hostel in a tertiary institution in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, in 2016, this article explores young black men’s construction of masculine sexuality, their approaches to romantic relationships, and responsibility within them. Through the use of semi-structured interviews conducted with young black men, the study investigated the relationship between the social construction of masculinities and the way in which these young men understood, talked about, and explained their views and actions regarding romance and sexuality. The study focuses on the voices of acceptance and resistance to traditional, patriarchal versions of manhood and the variations in men’s discourses and ways of being. It highlights through these voices that heterosexual masculinities are not inherently reckless, impassive, and uncaring, but are situationally and contextually constructed. The findings reveal that while the young men inhabited subject positions offered by traditional discourses of heterosexual masculinity, at the same time they also contested these dominant discourses in the complex and multifarious processes through which these young men constituted their identity.

Izikhothane: Class and Masculinities of Black Male Youths in Katlehong Township, South Africa

ABSTRACTThis article reports on a study that explored a subculture called izikhothane that has taken root among black male youths in South African townships. Focus group discussions were conducted with young black males who are involved in this subculture and a thematic content analysis was used to analyse themes in the study. The findings showed that izikhothane are primarily concerned with music, fashion, dance and linguistic prowess. Social constructions of masculinity and class also seem to play a role in the meanings that the participants attach to being izikhothane. It appears that the changing identities among izikhothane are influenced by neoliberal and socioeconomic conditions, characterised by the consumerist culture in which the izikhothane find themselves in post-apartheid South Africa.