NARRATIVISING MASCULINITIES

Sex Roles, 2006

This article provides a brief overview of the articles in the special issue “Manifestations of Masculinity.” The importance of studying masculinity, an often looked aspect of gender, is discussed. Different meanings of making manifest—literal, figurative, and symbolic—are also discussed and connected to other articles within the issue. The importance of disciplinary and theoretical diversity are also addressed, both in general and as they appear in the special issue.

Masculinity or femininity refers to one‟s gender identity, to the degree to which persons see themselves as masculine or feminine (Burke, Stets and Pirog-Good 1988; Spence 1985). It also gives the attributed role of a man and a woman in the society. Accordingly, definitions of masculinity (how one is expected to think and behave based on the fact of being male) and femininity (how one is expected to think and behave based on the fact of being female) are social constructions that incorporate historical, political and social dimensions of gender relations. Definitions and practices of masculinity are also embedded in institutions and mass culture. The study of masculinity enables the explanation of what consist of being the „real man‟ in respect to the social construction roles. This study will acknowledge the various social role and meanings of masculinities. The assignment is making a critical analysis on the boys at school, studying and analysing their behaviours in respect to theoretical concept of masculinities. The main aim of the study is to show to what extent boys in schools in Mauritius still display masculinity and whether the dominant patriarchal structure exists.

2016

Men are always drawn to and hope to find solace in, and believe that masculinity is a centrally and critically defining self-conception (Chesebro & Fuse, 2001). As young as the age of five boys know that they are male and that their ‘in-group” is other males and they begin to develop their idea of masculinity (Watson 2016). Masculinity is a socio-cultural construct. At different times in history there has been different ideas of masculinity, or what makes a man. In Russia, masculinity is brutal and raw while in Asia it is a defined well built body in the past in places like China it was based on how the penis was used. In different social groups masculinity is defined differently, Gay men can be hyper-masculinised because they are more likely to view their physical appearance as important to other people and to exercise to increase their attractiveness at the same time enhance their view of masculinity. It is important that boys and men have a healthy understanding of what masculinity is. They also need to understand that masculinity can and does change over time and space.

Cambridge Encyclopedia of Anthropology, 2021

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The meaning of masculinity is constantly changing and is influenced by a variety of factors. While consumption has become the core of capitalist societies, bodies have become a commodity to be well cared-for and well-groomed through diet, exercise and plastic surgery. As the standard for a desirable male has become increasingly more muscular, muscularity has become increasingly associated with masculinity. The purpose of this preliminary study is to explore this relationship between masculinity and muscularity akin to bodily activities and characteristics. Data was collected from two focus groups, with a total of nine participants. This preliminary study highlighted that masculinity is defined as being strong and fit. Even though the participants did not desire a hyper-muscular body, they described an ideal male body image as an athletic figure with a low fat-lean ratio and frequently cited hyper-muscular stereotypes as representatives of ideal body images.

2021

The paper presents the concept of masculinity within the non-binary and multilayered model of gender/sex traits. Within that model, masculinity is not a simple idea, but rather is fragmented into many traits in diverse clusters. The experience of transgender men and men with intersex traits suggests that self-determined male gender identity is a mega trait that is sufficient for being a man. However, masculinity is not only psychological, as the content of the psychological feeling of being a man refers to social norms about how men should be and behave. And male coded traits are described as traits that frequently occur within the group of people identifying as men. Therefore, I claim that there are two interdependent ideas in the concept of masculinity: the self-determined male gender identity (first-person perspective) and a cluster of traits coded as male (third-person perspective). Within non-binary model the interplay between the two interdependent ideas allows to include bord...

2017

Peer group plays an important role in the construction of masculine identity or masculinity. The impact of peer group culture torments during adolescence where boys construct their notions of masculinity by participating in the peer group culture. The present paper explores how notions of masculinity are constructed by interaction with the peers at a school in South Kolkata. The paper uses the technique of ‘mixed methodology’ in order to survey of thirty adolescent boys (aged 16-17 years) who study in an English medium school (Class XI and Class XII) of South Kolkata. The findings indicated that the adolescent boys mix and interact with both male and female friends based on certain grounds They interact with those male peers who conform to the notion of hegemonic masculinity ------those peers who are straight, powerful, strong and masculine. However, the adolescent boys tend to ostracize those peers who do not conform to the notion of hegemonic masculinity and are regarded as ‘effim...

2018

Masculinity can be defined as the properties, characteristic of the male sex or trait of behaving in ways considered typical for men. It refers to "socially produced but embodied ways of being male." The idea of masculinity has been a contentious subject and invites immense possibility of research and development. Studies in masculinity should not be limited to its comparison with femininity and criticism, it"s high time that the idea should be studied and theorised independently.

Proceedings of Indian History Congress, 2009

The collected readings delve into the complexities of masculinity, examining it as a socially constructed identity influenced by various internal and external factors. Raewyn Connell's works focus on masculinity as shaped within the gender system itself, extending beyond mere male-female interactions to include diverse relationships among men, which she categorizes into hegemonic, hybrid, and marginalized types. Connell and other scholars like Demetriou and Hearn critique traditional views of hegemonic masculinity and advocate for understanding gender as a dynamic and continually produced social practice. The themes expand into discussions on how men's relationships, through frameworks like heteronormativity and socio-cultural practices like 'girl watching' and homosocial bonding, perpetuate gender norms and inequalities. These interactions often reinforce male dominance and marginalize women, suggesting that true gender equality requires restructuring societal norms and including men actively in feminist efforts. The collection highlights the ongoing negotiation of gender identities, emphasizing the need for a broader and more inclusive understanding of masculinity's role in societal structures.