In contemporary China, internal migration has reshaped economic opportunities and family structures, creating tensions for gay men between their sexual identity and the normative expectations of sonhood. Unlike previous masculinity research that largely overlooks sonhood, this study aims to examine how gay migrant men negotiate sonhood as a central axis of localized hegemonic masculinity. Drawing on 41 in-depth life-history interviews with migrants from diverse class backgrounds, the analysis reveals that Chinese ideals of manhood are defined by economic success alongside family responsibilities, expectations strongly imposed on sons. Three distinct patterns of masculinity negotiation emerge through migration: reaffirmation of filial norms, hybrid reconfiguration, and compensatory or alternative masculinities that challenge traditional expectations. The findings show that gay masculine identity is both constrained and enabled by migration and family roles, and that class shapes these negotiations, offering a locally grounded perspective on how masculinity is constructed at the intersection of sexuality, family, and migration in China.
This study examines the construction of masculinity in three Indonesian war novels set during the National Revolution (1945–1949) through a New Historicist approach that situates literary texts within wider historical and ideological discourses. By integrating close reading, reflexive thematic analysis, critical discourse analysis, and parallel reading with colonial archives and revolutionary documents, the research uncovers six intersecting formations of masculinity: anti-heroic, nationalist, hegemonic, colonial-hybrid, trauma-based, and opportunistic. These formations reveal that masculine identities within Indonesian war literature are neither monolithic nor aligned with the idealized heroic figures promoted in state narratives, but are instead shaped by fear, ambivalence, emotional rupture, and pragmatic survival. The findings demonstrate that the novels function as counter-archives that disrupt dominant historiographies by exposing alternative emotional and ideological experiences of men during the revolution. Overall, the study contributes to broader discussions on war, gender, and postcolonial identity by showing how Indonesian war fiction participates in the cultural production of masculinity and challenges the ideological instrumentalization of male bodies in the nation-building project.
This study investigates the impact of media portrayals and interpersonal friendships on heterosexual men’s perception of their gay colleagues in Indian workplaces. The research employs a qualitative approach to explore how stereotypes, cultural conditioning, and organizational policies lead to attitudes and behaviors toward LGBTQIA+ individuals. The findings from interviews with 25 heterosexual men show that media representations first reinforced stereotypical biases and portrayed gay men as effeminate or funny. However, contemporary portrayals and direct interpersonal friendships fostered empathy and greater acceptance. Personal interaction was found to facilitate shifts in expressed attitudes and masculine boundary negotiation. Cultural and religious influences initially created barriers, but exposure to inclusive organizational policies and diversity training led to sensitisation, professionalisation and acceptance. The findings also highlight the dual function of media as both a source of bias and a catalyst for change. The ongoing conversation on workplace diversity and inclusion, and the call for proactive policies, training, and media reform to normalize LGBTQIA+ identities is reinforced by the study. It concludes that friendships and organizational interventions build inclusive and equitable workplaces in India.
The Semai Indigenous concept of the ideal man has become entangled with constructions of masculinity steered by Malaysia’s processes of development, modernization, and colonialism. These hegemonic forces have contributed to the disempowerment of Semai men, evident in the erosion of their agency in determining traditional livelihoods, transmitting cultural knowledge, and exercising community leadership. They have also diminished the role of Semai men as custodians of forest knowledge, disrupting their connection to Indigenous wisdom, environmental stewardship, and family harmony. This article examines how Semai storytellers revalorize Semai masculinity and subvert hegemonic norms through the character of Bah Luj, a male hero prominently featured in Semai folktales. The study employs a qualitative methodology comprising a literature review, content analysis of four Semai folktales, interviews, and a reflexive ethnographic approach. I argue that Semai storytellers revalorize Semai masculinity by emphasizing gender roles, cognitive abilities, and supernatural powers.
This article explores how masculinities are constructed, negotiated, and occasionally transformed within the Mexican entrepreneurial ecosystem. Drawing on a critical epistemological perspectives and gender studies, the research analyses thirty in-depth semi-structured interviews with male entrepreneurs and institutional actors aged 25 to 50. Through thematic and interpretive analysis supported by Atlas.ti, the study identifies recurring narratives of control, emotional restraint, leadership, and care. Results reveal that entrepreneurship operates as a symbolic space where hegemonic masculinity is reaffirmed through ideals of self-sufficiency, competitiveness, and emotional discipline, yet also as a field where cracks appear—particularly in discourses that associate success with well-being, collaboration, and sustainability. These findings contribute to a broader understanding of how neoliberal entrepreneurial cultures reproduce and, at times, challenge gender hierarchies. The study concludes that entrepreneurship should be interpreted not merely as an economic activity but as a performative arena of masculine identity, where emerging models of caring and ethical leadership signal possible pathways toward more inclusive and humanized forms of being a man.
Films with themes of masculinity and homosexuality are currently being widely discussed globally. In this regard, this article focuses on Indonesian films with themes of masculinity and homosexuality, specifically examining the psychology of oppression. This research is a qualitative study of Indonesian films that predominantly portray masculinity and homosexuality. The research results show the following. There is evidence of marriage oppression against homosexuals, the invisibility of homosexual identity, crimes against homosexual groups, and self-oppression. Concerning masculinity, homosexual men attempt to assert their identity as men by taking on roles such as being a husband who is responsible for fulfilling his wife’s biological needs, being responsible for providing financial support for the family, and as a father, striving to pay for his child’s education.
Historically, the caste segregated society in India prohibits Dalit men from owning or riding horses. As a result, recent times have seen an increase in attacks and violence against Dalit men or grooms, riding a horse on their wedding day. This article shows how the violence on Dalit men is a manifestation of such myths and legends of masculinity in modern India. Although such incidents are motivated by caste, symbols like horses revolve around themes like masculinity. This paper explores the intersection of caste and masculinity through a historical examination of the process of decline of the Rajput dynasty and production of hegemonic masculine idols such as Maharana Pratap. Such forms of masculinities became hegemonised through reproduction and popularisation of certain symbols and ideals constructed through production and reproduction of literary traditions and bardic tales. A careful observation and review of the literature of the construction of hegemonic masculinity in India reveals a strategic sequence of its reproduction during times of political crisis.
This article uses a combination of two feminist research methods to further understanding of the enduring nature of men’s use of ritualised forms of violence. In particular, this article examines men fighting other men to mitigate the effects of feminized shame and to stabilise masculine honour. Using a feminist comparative historical analysis alongside a feminist systematic review, two manifestations of ritualised honour-based fighting will be explored: men’s duelling of the eighteenth and nineteenth century and today’s (hetero)romantic and homosocial practice of territory marking: men claiming ownership over their (hetero)romantic partner by threatening to fight other men who appear to be romantically interested in her. By looking at the relationship between two types of ritualised fighting from different time-periods, the enduring nature of why men fight other men to mitigate feminized shame can be discussed in new ways. This type of analysis helps shed light on inherent fragilities within these violent practices, signalling how men’s ritualised fighting could be destabilised in the future.
This research aims to understand the influence of culture and social cognition on the formation of toxic masculinity behavior in young adult men in Indonesia. In the context of Indonesian culture, understanding how these masculinity norms are internalized is relevant, particularly since culture often reinforces stereotypes of masculinity. This research employed a quantitative approach to examine beliefs regarding traditional masculinity with the MRNI-SF and a qualitative approach to explore perspectives on masculinity. Respondents were young adult men in Indonesia willing to participate, and the data were analyzed descriptively and thematically. The results showed that the family, especially parents, plays a crucial role in instilling traditional masculinity values such as responsibility and leadership. In addition, the extended family also provides alternative models of masculinity through daily interactions. These results highlight the role of the family as a mediator between traditional norms and contemporary views. This research is expected to provide a new understanding of the complexity of masculinity formation in Indonesia.
This study explores the relationship between adherence to traditional masculine norms and emotional expression among young Filipino men. Grounded in theories linking masculinity to self-reliance and emotional restraint, it investigated how these norms influence emotional suppression. Using a descriptive-correlational design, data were gathered from 100 male students at the University of the Cordilleras through stratified sampling across academic disciplines. Participants completed the Conformity to Masculine Norms Inventory-22 and the Emotional Expressivity Scale, with factor analysis addressing scale overlap. Findings revealed high adherence to masculine norms emphasizing emotional control, work-oriented identity, and independence. While students rejected hypermasculine ideals related to dominance and promiscuity, they continued to conform to emotionally restrictive expectations. Results showed that high Emotional Expressivity Scale scores reflected emotional suppression rather than expression. After adjusting for shared variance, a strong positive correlation (r = 0.783, p < .001) was found between masculine norm adherence and emotional suppression, especially for Work, Status, and Reliance factors. These results indicate that although overt dominance is declining, the emotional restraint central to traditional masculinity persists. The study underscores the enduring influence of masculine norms on emotional behavior and highlights the need for culturally grounded interventions that promote emotional openness and healthier masculine identity development.
The aim of this study was to understand the perspectives of Ecuadorian young men regarding the communication and interpretation of sexual consent and rejection. For this purpose, from a qualitative approach, 4 focus groups were conducted with 32 male youth, who were students from both public and private high schools and universities. The information collected was analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings indicate that ambiguity prevails in the communication and interpretation of both sexual consent and rejection, aspects that are conditioned by sociocultural constructs that hinder its direct and free expression. Furthermore, sexual consent is described as an evolving, spiral-like process, in which alcohol consumption acts as a catalyst. It is concluded that there is a need for sexual consent education in the male population, which includes the lived experiences of masculine youth culture and challenge sociocultural constructs that complicate the communication of consent, as well as the normalized consumption of alcohol in the development of sexual encounters.
This article explores the role of love in the everyday experiences of male carers by analysing the material, moral, and emotional dimensions of caregiving. We will focus on older men who care directly for their dependent wives and ask: What is the meaning of love? What is the meaning of morality derived from conjugal commitment? Is there a relationship between materiality, morality, and emotion? How do these dimensions affect the construction of masculinities? These questions are relevant because men and women have been attributed significant differences in caring and expressing emotions and feelings. Family and demographic changes and the reduced availability of women as carers provide the framework for understanding the increased presence of men as carers today. This article is part of two ethnographic research projects on male carers, carried out between 2015 and 2021. We have used data from semi-structured interviews and participant observations with 19 pre-retired and retired men aged between 61 and 87. Analysing the specific case of older men who have not been socialised to provide care, but who do so when the need arises, provides an opportunity to understand the construction of masculinity in a contextual and life-course perspective.
Men's involvement in the work for gender equality in the "feminist paradise" of Iceland is a politically prioritised but under-researched area. We examine the premise for men's involvement in gender equality work from 1990 to 2020 in terms of initiatives, ideological underpinnings, and what opportunities and challenges it brings to the field. Using thematic analysis of archive material, committee reports, newspapers, and other data we demonstrate that the invitation by which men's involvement started, was succeeded by men's own initiative. Initially, a feminist informed approach with an emphasis on gender-based violence existed along men's rights perspectives. However, the ambiguities between these two strands developed into separate pathways. The study also indicates a differential and privileged treatment for men in gender equality work. The involvement of men in gender equality work generates challenges and paradoxes which the agents in the field must engage with. We argue that there is a risk that engaging men in gender equality work reproduces gendered power dynamics, and that it must be addressed by asking how and on what premise men should be included.
Substance use in men is associated with the construction of masculinity and lower perception of risk or harm. Substance use is used to cope with high levels of contextual stress. Although substance use affects childcare performance, fatherhood can become a driver of change to abandon/decrease substance use and become involved in parenting. This qualitative study aims to address the experiences of parenthood and substance use. By conducting a focus group of men (4 participants), data are collected and analyzed with grounded theory. The results show that fatherhood could be seen as an incentive for change or an additional stressor. If fathers manage to control consumption, they can get involved in their parental and child-rearing role, but if they do not manage to control it, conflicts are generated with the couple, family and child-rearing. It is concluded that there is an association between male gender stereotypes and consumption behaviors, encouraging consumption from an early age. They recognize the importance of support networks and specialized treatment programs that are sensitive to their needs and circumstances.
In this text we reflect on alcohol consumption among young Andalusian males in agricultural migratory contexts, paying attention to the possible relationships with substance use. We have conducted a study, with multi-localized fieldwork in Spain and France between 2020-2023, where we interviewed in depth 31 young Andalusian men involved in the French grape harvest. We used a qualitative methodology to explore how certain practices of consumption and violence can be exacerbated in situations of labor exploitation. Even though consumption is a practice rooted in the place of origin, the results reveal that male and family mandates, harsh working conditions as well as the role of the employer at destination are associated with an increase in alcohol consumption and gender-based violence. Leisure spaces, such as bars and peer-to-peer meetings after work, also play a crucial role in shaping masculinities, which are delineated within the framework of a patriarchal and consumer culture. The mandates of masculinity and migration are not the only factors that explain problematic consumption or violence among young men. These are complex, multi-causal and multidimensional processes that highlight the need for an intersectional understanding.
The particularities of under-age adolescents who migrate alone highlight the urgent needs for intervention by the different actors involved. The media play an important role in the construction of social imaginaries about specific populations. A qualitative analysis has been carried out, using the constant comparison method, with the aim of examining the media treatment of unaccompanied foreign minors in Spain and the impact it has had on society. The results highlight three categories of analysis: nature of the problem, management and discursive actors. News content is mainly based on manifestations of hate speech, racism and stigmatisation of groups of young people who migrate alone. The solutions reported in the press are associated with political and institutional intervention to the detriment of preventive and community actions. This is interpreted as a sign of criminalization of the group, which is mainly male and migrant, which is a risk, as these news items generate social rejection towards them. These conclusions call for the reinforcement of social interventions in terms of awareness- raising and sensitisation, which are fundamental for intercultural coexistence and social equality.
Men’s participation in feminine professions such as teaching in children’s formative years in the Foundation Phase (FP) has opened possibilities for researching and rethinking tenets linked to education, disrupting images of stoicism and power surrounding masculinities. This paper reports on a qualitative participatory visual methodological study that explored six male FP teachers’ conceptualisation and practices of care in their schooling environment and how these influence their everyday lives. Using participatory visual method collaborative collage to generate data, results show that male FP teachers’ caregiving approaches, described as “Tenda-love”, challenge traditional masculinities by prioritising emotional connection, trust-building and non-violent discipline over authoritative control. However, despite their commitment to nurturing young learners, these teachers face societal scrutiny, gendered scepticism and assumptions that question their suitability for early childhood education. Their narratives highlight the tensions they navigate in a profession historically associated with femininity, shedding light on the broader implications for gender inclusivity in education. The findings call for the reimagining of masculinities in education, where men in caregiving roles are valued and supported rather than scrutinised and marginalised. Moreover, it further calls for teacher education programmes to actively promote gender-inclusive pedagogies that validate and encourage diverse expressions of care.
El objetivo del presente estudio es conocer las perspectivas de los jóvenes ecuatorianos acerca de la comunicación e interpretación del consentimiento sexual y el rechazo. Para este fin, desde un enfoque cualitativo se realizaron 4 grupos focales con 32 jóvenes varones, quienes eran estudiantes de colegios y universidades públicas y privadas. El análisis de la información recabada en los grupos focales se realizó mediante análisis temático. Los hallazgos indican que la ambigüedad prevalece en la comunicación e interpretación, tanto del consentimiento como del rechazo sexual, aspectos que están condicionados por construcciones socioculturales que dificultan una expresión directa y libre. Asimismo, el consentimiento sexual es descrito por los jóvenes como un proceso evolutivo en forma de espiral, en el cual el consumo de alcohol funciona como catalizador de encuentros sexuales. Se concluye que existe una necesidad de formación en consentimiento sexual en la población masculina, que incluya las experiencias propias de la cultura juvenil y cuestione construcciones socioculturales que complican la comunicación del consentimiento, así como el consumo normalizado del alcohol para el desarrollo de encuentros sexuales.
This article reports on investigation of the personal coping strategies of young black men (YBM) raised by single mothers. An interpretivist paradigm was used to gain insight into YBM coping strategies and to explore their lived experiences. This was a qualitative study that employed purposive and snowball methods of sampling. The study sample consisted of nine participants and data were collected through semi-structured interviews, both face-to-face and telephonically. Inductive thematic analysis approach was used to analyze data. The study revealed that, despite being faced by significant risk factors, the young black men had internal locus of control and they managed to demonstrate self-efficacy to surmount the challenges. Furthermore, the study also showed that the young black men identified and accessed the available resources to help them to overcome adversity.
The term ‘toxic masculinity’ is often used in ways that are ineffective. This paper offers insights into how to take advantage of the framing effect to use it better. A broadly Hegelian dialectic is used to present two framings of the term, identifying their strengths and weaknesses, and offering a synthesis. The Mythopoetic Men’s Movement framed toxic masculinity around its systemic causes, within-group regulation and small-scale solutions. The framing emerging from the popular and feminist discourse since 2015, focused on personal responsibility, between-group criticism and urgent action. For different reasons, both had limited positive impact. A better framing can reduce the divisive character of the term, encourage focus on systemic causes and solutions, and mix the action-oriented between-group use with within-group use which inspires less defensiveness. A virtue ethical definition can further discourage division and instead promote a focus on systemic causes and solutions.
