Hegemonic masculinity

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Hegemonic masculinity is the normative ideal of masculinity to which men are supposed to aim. "Hegemonic Masculinity" is not necessarily the most prevalent masculinity, but rather the most socially endorsed. Characteristics associated with contemporary American hegemonic masculinity are aggressiveness, strength, drive, ambition and self-reliance.

The concept of 'hegemony', derived from Antonio Gramsci's analysis of class relations, refers to the cultural dynamic by which a group claims and sustains a leading position in social life. At any given time, one form of masculinity is culturally exalted. Hegemonic masculinity can be defined as the configuration of gender practice which embodies the currently accepted answer to the problem of the legitimacy of patriarchy, which guarantees (or is taken to guarantee) the dominant position of some men over others, and the subordination of women.[1]

Some second-wave profeminist writers [2] argue that gendered identities play a crucial role in the maintenance of hegemonic masculinity. They argue that identity is strongly tied to gender values which influence the behavior of individuals and society as a whole. Within patriarchy, individuals perceived to be acting outside of accepted gender norms are often viewed as threats to individual identity. Proponents of this idea claim that this perceived threat accounts for hostility between different masculinities.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Connell, R. W. (2005) Masculinities. Second Edition, Cambridge: Polity Press
  2. ^ Hopkins, Patrick“Gender Treachery: Homophobia, Masculinity, and Threatened Identities.” Reprinted in Rethinking Masculinity: Philosophical Explorations in the Light of Feminism. (Lanham, MD: Rowan and Littlefield, 2002).
  • Hegemonic Masculinity: The traditional ideas about the role of men as 'breadwinners' and authority figures

[edit] See also

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