Masculinity Studies Research Articles

Whiteness, masculinities and radical democracy: mapping four spaces of (dis)appearance

ABSTRACT Radical democratic theory conceptualizes public visibility as empowering. In particular, feminist democratic theorists propose a politics of presence through identity politics, according to which it is the visibility of the marginalized body that in itself articulates a political claim for inclusion. Today, a new subject enters the space of appearance: the white, cisgender, heterosexual man claims recognition through embodied identity performances. Engaging in the men’s rights and Trump movements, the performance of white masculinities, however, does not appear as empowering, but as anxious, defensive and weak. Drawing on whiteness and masculinity studies, this article explains why public visibility may both empower and weaken. By combining the concept of visibility with voice, it maps four spaces of (dis)appearance and explores the mobility of identity groups between them. Whether entering the space of appearance is empowering depends on the point of departure. Instead of claiming equal recognition, as marginalized groups do, white men cling to their unearned privileges. The article observes a general migration towards the space of appearance, rendering it more contentious.

A Critical Reflection on Chinese Masculinity: Are Chinese Men in Modern Hong Kong and Taiwan the Same?

Abstract This paper offers a critical review of the study of masculinity among overseas Chinese. Rather than turning to Confucianism which has been deployed as the “deep structure” for explaining Chinese masculinity, this paper argues that attention should be directed to the Chinese kinship ideology, which will prove to be a more helpful tool in conceptualizing Chinese masculinity. Through ethnographic cases in Taiwan and Hong Kong, I will show how Chinese masculinity has derived from the Chinese kinship system, on the one hand, and how men in Taiwan and Hong Kong ended up expressing Chinese masculinity differently because of the different geopolitics on the other. This paper concludes that the nature and character of Chinese masculinity overseas, after all, hinges upon another two contexts: geopolitics and its relationship with femininity. It follows that Chinese masculinity cannot be studied in isolation but must be considered in relation to contexts.

On Don Juan and Beyond: Masculinity Studies in Modern Spain

The prominence of the figure of Don Juan marks the Spanish literature on masculinities which will be analyzed in this article. This distinctive trait, obvious when comparing it to English-speaking masculinity studies, is responsible for the highest achievements of masculinity studies in Spain. Those studies benefit from the fact that the figure of Don Juan is a stylization of modern masculinity. Other historiographies could also benefit from it, but for that to happen, Spanish scholars must intensify their dialogue with those historiographies. A critical thinking on masculinities based on Don Juan will not be beneficial, however, if Don Juan is taken as a description of a specific territory, whether it be Castile, Spain or Latin America. Beyond Don Juan, the relation between masculinity and nation and with other phenomena on the process of modernization has concentrated a good deal of effort among Spanish scholars; this article contends that the figure of Don Juan could shed new light on that field of research.

A counter-story to the rags-to-riches narrative: A Finnish male model wearing hobo style during the deep depression in the age of AIDS

As a former male model whose modelling career lasted 25 years (1988–2013) and as a researcher, I am interested in the production of meanings and knowledge related to representations of masculinity. As a gay former male model who was classified as ‘other’ but represented the normative ideal and passed for straight in fashion shows and photographs, I look back on images of myself differently and against the grain. I analyse three of my fashion photographs – taken for the Finnish tabloid City in 1993, when AIDS was considered the ‘gay plague’, but never published – in terms of critical studies of masculinities, gay and sexuality studies, and queer theory. I speculate and examine gestures, facial expressions and poses in the photographs that were still intolerable and prevented their publication 30 years ago. The publication of my photographs now is concrete proof that masculine gestured performances are becoming more inclusive and diverse.

The hero and the heroin: Inscriptions of AIDS on the male body

Contrary to popular belief, the HIV/AIDS pandemic has not only impacted on the languages of fashion and clothing in matters of communication and corporate social responsibility, but also on the very creation of the fashioned bodies. Two very different examples of the metaphorization and inscription of AIDS on the male body are the heroic, muscular and healthy figures of the Versace and Calvin Klein models, inherited from the white Yuppie culture, and the popularization of the heroin chic aesthetics of Marc Jacobs and, later, Hedi Slimane’s Dior Homme. Much more than simple body types, the hero and the heroin might be considered as different answers to the same epistemic crisis that the HIV/AIDS pandemic has caused in terms of body, sexuality, otherness, health and illness, from the late 1980s to the 1990s. The aim of this article is to read and deconstruct western high fashion of that period through a critical discourse analysis involving masculinity studies and queer theory concerning AIDS, to understand the narratives that the pandemic has created on the male fashioned bodies.

Queer Transgressions in Twentieth-Century Polish Fiction: Gender, Nation, Politics

Queer Transgressions in Twentieth-Century Polish Fiction: Gender, Nation, Politics

Juggling Masculinities: Being a Middle-Class Young Man in Dhaka

To date, South Asian masculinity studies have largely investigated the construction of masculinities at the structural level, while subjective experiences have received little attention. This paper analyses data gathered from ethnographic research conducted among 40 adolescent boys living in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and asks: how do middle-class adolescent boys in Dhaka construct different ideals of masculinity and negotiate those in their everyday life at home and among peers? Which ideas about sexuality are involved? This analysis provides in-depth insights into the ways in which different models of masculinity are (re)constructed and embraced or resisted at the subjective level by adolescents in their everyday negotiations of sexuality. We will argue that this younger generation of men encounter unique gendered vulnerabilities in the contexts of fast urbanisation, an increasingly uncertain labour market and a lack of support in negotiating their emotional and social wellbeing.

Letter from the Editors

It has only been in the last twenty years that men's fashion has gained attention as a discreet disciplinary area of study across the arts and humanities. Up until as late as 1994, when fashion studies entered the academy, information about men's fashion was not included in studies of masculinities; if anything, a cursory mention was made in an occasional book chapter or academic article. This was because fashion was considered frivolous and narcissistic, and not worthy of any serious scholarly attention, unless you were a woman or queer. Fashion was regulated to the domain of the feminine and the body, as opposed to art and architecture, which were deemed masculine and placed in the sphere of the mind and the psyche. Up until the mid-eighteenth century, men's clothing was made of plush fabrics, constructed silhouettes, and refined forms that signaled wealth and aristocratic status. Influenced by the Enlightenment ideas of reason and rationality, men's clothing became more utilitarian and functional, abandoning wigs, stockings, and high heels in favor of garments such as the suit. Exaggerated forms were left to women's fashion, as men relinquished their claim to adornment and beauty and fashion became associated with femininity and frivolity. It was, as John Flügel claimed, the Great Male Renunciation that was to burden masculinity for the next four hundred years.

Libratory Vulnerability: Reimagining Indigenous Hockey Masculinities in Jordin Tootoo’s All the Way and Theo Fleury’s Playing with Fire

Abstract: Theo Fleury’s Playing with Fire (2009) and Jordin Tootoo’s All the Way: My Life on Ice (2014) are key texts in the under-researched fields of Indigenous hockey and Indigenous hockey masculinity. However, the importance of these autobiographies is not simply their contributions to these overlooked fields, but how each author models the fundamental value of vulnerability to their healing journeys from trauma and substance abuse. Tootoo (Inuk) and Fleury (Métis) were notorious National Hockey League “tough guys,” and so many readers expecting a rehearsal of hockey hypermasculinity would be surprised by the libratory masculinity offered by these books. We argue that the limited potentiality of these autobiographies lies in their possibility of reaching and affecting male audiences predisposed to hypermasculinity; the liberal possibilities of Fleury and Tootoo’s books are limited by their basis in dominant hockey culture and hypermasculinity, but at the same time they can potentially reach hyper-masculine hockey fans that other more radical works would not. Thus, the paradox of these autobiographies is that their hypermasculine tropes shift dominant hockey culture toward greater vulnerability, but it is these same tropes that also limit the changes that can be imagined to hockey culture. The objectives of this article are to: emphasize the need for vulnerability in Indigenous masculinities studies; illustrate that disembodiment is a common experience for Indigenous hockey players at the elite level; offer the term libratory masculinity to capture the oscillation between hyper-masculinity and masculinity; and propose that hockey hypermasculinity is antithetical to healing.

‘You really struggle not to come across as bitchy if you are trying to be authoritative’ – blokishness, habitus, behaviour and career experiences of women in public relations

PurposeThis study aims to analyse the position of women in public relations (PR), using Bourdieu's habitus. The study also draws from works on women in journalism on the ‘bloke-ification’ or a situation where women have to behave like men to succeed, thus becoming one of the boys due to masculine habitus in mass communications organisations.Design/methodology/approachQualitative interviews were conducted with 26 women practitioners asking questions about their experiences of working in the PR industry. The triple coding was conducted holistically and cross-referencing against answers on early socialisation of interviewed women. Thematic analysis was used to analyse and present data.FindingsThe findings show acceptance of masculine habitus with women not always challenging the usual order of things and recognising only direct sexism but not every day (masculine) practices. Women who demonstrate feminine behavioural styles are more likely to have negative working experiences than women who demonstrate masculine behavioural styles. Findings show a link between early socialisation and organisational behaviour with women who were socialised with boys reporting more masculine behavioural traits as expected for career progression as opposed to women socialised with girls who report feminine characteristics. The findings also signal that women work in a masculine culture in which they are often ostracised, and the profession as a whole is ridiculed by male managers and senior officials despite women being the majority of the workforce in the PR industry, thus showing that women also work in what Bourdieu calls a (masculine) habitus.Research limitations/implicationsThis study remains limited regarding its qualitative aspect of 26 interviewed women. Whilst this is a relatively large sample for a qualitative study, these findings show trends in data that can be explored in further research but cannot be generalised. In addition to that, phone interviewing presents a limitation of the study as face-to-face interviews could have enabled a better rapport and a more in-depth conversation as well as an observation of non-verbal communication, which could have led to additional sub-questions. Also, the findings are based on perceptions of interviewed women, which are personal and do not necessarily need to present the reality in the whole of the industry, however, the thematic analysis revealed common patterns which point towards the direction of a wider issue in the industry, which can be explored in further research.Practical implicationsOrganisations should implement HR policies that regulate internal office behaviour so that no staff member or department feels unappreciated and has less influence over the organisational work. A greater focus on treating employees fairly is needed, and this change needs to include structural problems that are often hidden, such as remarks in offices and internal practice and the dynamic between different departments bearing attention to departments where senior roles are traditionally given to men (e.g. finance) and those where senior roles also have women managers (e.g. PR).Originality/valueThe paper contributes to studies of cultural masculinities in organisations from a sociological perspective and uses a case study of the PR industry. The paper further extends the bloke-ification framework and contributes towards the conceptualisation of this framework from the PR perspective and using a sociological approach. In addition to that, the paper drew from works conducted in journalism and advertising and showed that issues women face are very similar across industries, thus opening a question of a wider social problem, at least when mass communications industries are in stake.

“I am Not a Macho, I am a Man”: Identity Construction of Trans Men in Santiago, Chile

The study of masculinities in Latin America is becoming increasingly relevant; however, trans men (TM) have been highly disregarded. This is problematic, given that the transmasculine population can highlight tension upon the binary gender practices. Latin American research has maintained a biomedical perspective, with emphasis on sexual readjustment treatments, ignoring the subjective experience of TM regarding their identity construction, and the sociocultural implications of experiencing their identity as men, considering Latin American gender patterns and machismo. Under this premise, 14 Chilean TM were interviewed. Results show the heteronormative demands imposed on TM, which determine the expectations and interpretations associated with their transition process. This leads TM to perpetuate stereotypical gender patterns, which is a survival strategy, and at the same time promotes the maintenance of patriarchal privileges. In a transversal manner, it was observed that TM have new perspectives on masculinity, which allow for the questioning of traditional gender roles.

Intersectionality Theory and Leadership Futures: Policy Pathways Toward Reinventing Gender Spaces for Educational Leadership in Two Male Schools in Ghana

This paper examines the advances made on gender issues in Ghana, particularly regarding how far misogyny is being watered down in educational leadership. The article thence reflects on how society might resolve the question of the effects of misogyny on educational leadership futures and the associated possibilities, and decisively address this enervating question in the decades ahead. The paper discusses how individuals and groups are resisting and challenging their experiences of gender inequalities, as well as attempting to intervene and correct the causes and consequences of gendered power imbalances. The paper does not intend to assess all the facets of gendered life and inequality. Instead, it discusses arguments that have been put forward regarding re-engineering gender spaces for educational leadership futures. Data obtained from two all-boys’ schools suggest that gendered inequality is visible in both public and private spheres. However, the validity of the arguments that gender inequalities are still entrenched and persisting over time, place, and culture is contrasted with alternative claims from the data that gendered power relations, and for that matter inequalities, are gradually being eroded. Furthermore, the current academic focus on the concept of intersectionality regarding how variables like gender, tribe, religion, and culture intersect to define people’s gendered experiences, is used as the analytical framework. The study of women’s educational leadership experiences in this paper is used as a framework to further examine these issues and address some of the debates. The paper concludes with an argument that the study of inequality in relation to gendered identities, relations, and experiences must continue with an exploration of the study of men and masculinities if the theoretical analysis of gender is to be enriched to re-invent genders spaces for educational leadership futures. We also argue the view that to set the agenda for a more equal educational leadership future, society must see the need to link gender closely to other forms of social inequalities.

The health category in studies of masculinities in Brazilian psychology

The health category in studies of masculinities in Brazilian psychology

The differential effects of state and trait masculinity and femininity on body satisfaction among sexual minority men

Masculine men are more likely to idealise being tall, muscular, and lean. Feminine men, on the other hand, are more likely to idealise leanness. At the trait level, masculinity and femininity have been linked with an unhealthy striving for these idealised traits and body dissatisfaction. However, it is unclear how feeling masculine or feminine in the moment might be associated with body satisfaction. Is feeling masculine and/or feminine associated with a boost in body satisfaction? In the first large-scale experience sampling study of masculinity and femininity (nobservations=25,133; Nparticipants=530), we find that state masculinity and femininity, but not trait, are associated with increased body satisfaction among sexual minority men. We also find a gender congruence effect whereby the positive associations between state masculinity/femininity on body satisfaction are more pronounced when these feelings align with trait levels of masculinity/femininity. Exploratory analyses revealed a moderating effect of eating disorder history. The associations between masculinity and femininity on body satisfaction were amplified for people who had been diagnosed with an eating disorder. This study presents the first evidence that the links between masculinity and femininity and body satisfaction can be delineated based on whether they are measured as traits or states.

Combining ‘sex-as-dirty work’ and ‘CMM’ frameworks for recruiting cisgender, heterosexual men for a study on sex, sexuality, and intimacy

ABSTRACT Recruiting cisgender, heterosexual young men for research participation can be a difficult endeavour. This is more challenging with qualitative research studies that require substantial time commitment, or be of a sensitive nature, such as discussions of sex, intimacy, and emotion. These challenges can be amplified with the shift to online data collection procedures due to COVID-19. In this paper I reflect on the process of recruiting cisgender, heterosexual men for a qualitative study on sex and intimacy that relied solely on online advertising during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. I build on a critical men and masculinity (CMM) studies framework by considering a ‘sex-as-dirty-work’ approach which centres the uncomfortable practice of talking about and researching sex. I highlight the success of this approach that counters recommended best practice in getting men to participate. I conclude with a discussion of the implications of this approach, and suggestions for researchers.

Jewish, Masculine, and Professional: Intersections of Profession and Masculinity in Yoshue Perle’s Novellas “Gelt” and “Nayn a zeyger inderfri”

Abstract This article explores “Nayn a zeyger inderfri” and “Gelt,” two novellas by the Polish- Jewish Yiddish author Yoshue Perle. These novellas feature first-generation Jewish middle-class men who anxiously struggle to perform according to the bourgeois masculine standards that their new class positioning requires. The article argues that Perle creates a narrative where Jewish masculinities come into direct interaction with non-Jewish bourgeois masculinities. While debates about Jewish masculinity often take “Torah study” or “productivity” as primary examples for thinking through appropriate activities for Jewish men, I suggest that a bank or a factory office is also a site for the negotiation of what constitutes ideal, failed, or proper masculine behavior. The article proposes a more nuanced approach to the study of Jewish masculinities, which would not be limited to looking at the intersection of gender and ethnicity, but would include class as another major factor.

Politics of gender: challenges of being a feminist male women human rights defender in the north-eastern periphery of India

ABSTRACT Masculinity and manhood are prerequisite characteristics desired and demanded from every male individual born in Indian society. They are taught to become an ‘Ideal Indian Man’ from the time they are born. Critical reading of masculine attributes is an important facet of feminist discourse. Men who become a part of this quest and movement as ‘women rights activists’, fighting against gender inequality, are often ridiculed and discouraged. In this context, this paper brings out the narratives and struggles of being a male ‘women human rights defender’ in India. According to the information published on the official website of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), women human rights defenders (WHRDs) are people of all genders who work, promote, defend, advance, and advocate for gender equality, and stand for the cause of human rights of women. Hence, going by the definition mentioned above, I argue that a feminist man working relentlessly on women’s issues will surely fall under the category of ‘women human rights defenders’. Their personal experiences and struggles as WHRDs working in their local areas voice varied forms of challenges, stigma, ostracisation, and life risks that otherwise go unnoticed, unspoken, and at times trivialised because of their gender. With an objective to bring out a broader conversation between masculinity studies and feminist scholarship, this paper analyses the challenges of being feminist male WHRDs. To examine this position as a WHRD, the paper will look into the questions of (1) being a man who is always looked upon with suspicion as a person occupying a privileged gender position; (2) a man working on gender-sensitive issues such as human/sex trafficking, child abuse, violence, conflict, and displacement; and (3) his regional location and social class. This paper will structure details of different forms of gender-based lived experiences of selected male WHRDs working in various districts of Assam and West Bengal, through personal interview methods.

From Hegemony to Inclusivity: Perspectives on Models of Masculinity by R.W. Connell and Greg Anderson

Masculinity Studies developed in ‘dialogue’ with the feminist movement. By the 1970s, it gained momentum, drawing energy from the women’s liberation movement. The notion of gender being a derivative of biological sex was rejected by social scientists and thinkers, it emerged that gender is not a stable category, but is “performative”, dynamic, and relational to the temporal and spatial context. I have relied on Judith Butler’s Gender Trouble (1990) to elucidate this concept. The paper explores how ‘masculinity’ transformed from being a homogeneous concept into becoming ‘masculinities’, an idea that endorsed multiplicity and plurality. In the present article, R.W. Connell’s model of hegemonic masculinity and Greg Anderson’s theory of Inclusive masculinity have been explored to decipher the layers of masculine behaviour and chart its development in the field of masculinity studies.

‘Camp syndrome’: exploring frontier masculinity in Alberta’s oil production culture

ABSTRACT Building on insights drawn from feminist theory and masculinity studies, this qualitative research project explores Alberta's oil production culture, frontier masculinity, and the industry's connection to the sex trade. Major findings suggest that within the oil production culture, negative views of women, the objectification of women, and the normalization of purchasing sex, are products of frontier masculinity. We conclude that the frontier masculinity found in the Albertan oil production culture is a liminal expression of masculinity specific to the context of the oil industry. These conclusions are based on in-depth semi-structured interviews conducted with Alberta-based oil industry workers.

Masculinities and affective equality; the case of professional caring

AbstractCritical studies of men and masculinities [CSMM] aim to advance gender equality by critiquing and deconstructing male hegemony and hegemonic masculinities. Although the implicit value of gender equality is clear in CSMM generally, the conceptualization of equality is frequently vague, implied, and lacks conceptual definition. The problem is compounded in caring masculinities studies which additionally often lack engagement with critical feminist and other socio‐political perspectives on caring. These shortcomings hide the complex interrelation of different dimensions to inequality as they intersect with multiple relational identities. Caring practices are also complex, having distinct phases that engage different forms of labor within separate relational contexts. In response, this article proposes the model of affective equality (Lynch et al., 2009) and the concept of care as relational social practice (Tronto, 1993) as normative perspectives that explicitly link care with equality. The case of professional caring, where the impact of CSMM has been especially limited, is used to illustrate the micro‐politics of how men manage their identities within the context of feminized caring. Here, men face the precarious task of managing their masculine status while navigating emotional expectations. Caring masculinities studies can be advanced with greater theoretical and empirical attention to (i) the intersection of multiple inequalities; (ii) the affective circles of caring; (iii) the specificity of caring work; (iv) the inequalities of caring; and (v) the ethics of caring practices.