This paper discusses the issue of how different masculinities are being represented in the English classroom. It specifically aims to examine how a teacher’s own principals concerning gender will be reflected in the texts she chooses to use. The field was explored through a case study, where interviews with an upper secondary English teacher as well as a content analysis on the texts she chose to use in the classroom were central to the study. The results of the case study showed tendencies towards a discrepancy between the teacher’s self-expressed thoughts on gender issues and her choice of texts. The teacher conveyed modern ideas on gender issues, while most of the texts she chose to use in the classroom were positive towards more traditional gender patterns. Therefore, our hypothesis did not correspond to the findings. The findings were analyzed by comparing the teacher’s reported attitudes to the different aspects of gender in the chosen texts. In relation to these findings, the paper focuses on the possibility of further studies within this field of research, such as e.g. observation of how gendered texts are being used in classroom and a more quantified investigation, concerning the number of teachers being studied.

The purpose of this study is to enlighten and discuss if there is any possible differences of how female ice-hockey players experienced norms and the masculine culture within ice-hockey. By asking women from three generations, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, this study wants to find out what these differences might be. Six female ice-hockey players, two born in each decade are interviewed in this study. The study have examined what norms were apparent and how these were dealt with as female ice-hockey players. During what conditions could young girls play ice-hockey and how were they met by people in that environment. Furthermore, the study examines the differences of these experiences.    The primary result of the study shows that it´s a bigger difference between the experiences of the women born in the 1970s and 1980s than the difference between the ones born 1980s and 1990s. Primarily the differences are of how they were met and what others thought of women playing ice-hockey. The conditions of playing ice-hockey have, throughout the generations, stayed the same as well as the norms within the sport.

The purpose of this study is to investigate how femininity is portrayed in relation to power in the Swedish documentary series Drottningarna, which follows the life experience of 8 Swedish queens. This will be researched based on the theories of hegemonic masculinity and femininity. The study also aims to investigate what purposes might have contributed to how the different queens are portrayed in the series, and how truthful the representation of them is. The results shows that power in the series is often associated with breaking and opposing the power structures, but also with typically hegemonic masculine traits such as assertiveness, independence and aggressivity. the series also seems to primarily have a commercial purpose, even though it contains both cognitive, moral, and aesthetic intentions. This in turn affects the credibility of the series in a negative way, as the focus is on making good television instead of sticking to historical truths.

While the idea of self-help has historically been associated with women the growing popularity of online self-improvement groups has attracted both sexes. The growing popularity of people like Jordan Peterson and Andrew Tate - who speak of the importance of self-improvement alongside anti-feminist rhetoric - within the Manosphere online community also shows a trend of self-improvement moving towards a male audience. This study aims to examine the foundations of the self-improvement rhetoric and its relation to Michel Foucualt’s theory of the discourse of discipline and Raewyn Connell’s theory of hegemonic masculinity. Previous research on the topic of self-improvement has found arguments for the rhetoric as containing and perpetrating ideals of neoliberalism as well as the forming of citizens in line with the needs of capitalism. With the growing presence of more explicit promotions of masculine hegemony our study aims to provide another look into the world of hegemonic masculinity through less obvious promotions of it. With a thematic analysis of a Reddit-thread on self-improvement, our study finds that the rhetoric of the subreddit relies on (1) the presumed knowledge of a rational subject, (2) an ideal of control as the ultimate goal and (3) the reinforcement of these through specific strategies. Furthermore we find that the ideals that are perpetuated through this discourse are gendered in nature and correlate to the depiction of Connell’s transnational business masculinity. / Medan idén om självhjälp historiskt sett har associerats med kvinnor, har den växande populariteten av självförbättringsgrupper online lockat båda könen. Den växande populariteten av personer som Jordan Peterson och Andrew Tate – som talar om vikten av självförbättring samtidigt med användandet av antifeministisk retorik – inom Manosphere online-communityn visar också en trend av att självförbättringsämnet numera rör en manlig publik. Denna studie syftar till att undersöka grunderna för självförbättringens retorik och dess relation till Michel Foucaults teori om diskursen kring disciplin och Raewyn Connells teori om hegemonisk maskulinitet. Tidigare forskning på ämnet självförbättring har funnit argument för att retoriken innehåller och bevarar ideal om nyliberalism såväl som formandet av medborgare i linje med kapitalismens behov. Med den växande närvaron av mer explicita främjande av maskulin hegemoni syftar vår studie till att ge en ny inblick i världen av hegemonisk maskulinitet genom mindre uppenbara skildringar av den. Med en tematisk analys av en Reddit-tråd om självförbättring, finner vår studie att trådens retorik bygger på (1) den förgivettagna kunskapen om existensen av ett rationellt subjekt, (2) ett ideal om kontroll som det slutliga målet och (3) förstärkningen av dessa genom specifika strategier. Vidare finner vi att de ideal som bevaras genom denna diskurs är könsbaserade och korrelerar med skildringen av Connells transnationella affärsmaskulinitet.

This study explores the (hetero)sexualized online space that is the category “Pools, Hot Tubsand Beaches” on the streaming platform Twitch.tv. The aim of the study is to gain a further understanding of how gender and sexuality is performed under the specific conditions offered by the space. Interactions between livestreamer and chat in three livestreams have been transcribed and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. I find that the space is characterized by the logic of the heterosexual matrix as defined by Judith Butler, as well by two foundational asymmetries that inform the way that gender and sexuality is performed in the spaces studied: the asymmetry of perspective and the asymmetry of performativity. These conditions are actively negotiated with by the subjects that interact in the space. Furthermore, relying on the work of Raewyn Connell, I find that the subjects conduct a labor of positionality with regards to notions of good and bad masculinity, basing their sense ofcommunity on the abjectification of “other men” in order to construct their own masculinity.

John Steinbeck’s novella Of Mice and Men explores themes of morality and masculinity through its many male characters. With the use of hegemonic masculinity theory, this essay analyzes how different elements of masculinity are characterized, constructed, and valued in relation to one another. Masculinity is defined by a utilitarian sense of purpose, systematic loss, and homosocial desire in Of Mice and Men. The men in this novella yearn for connection and meaning, in contrast to the inevitable nature of violence presented in the novella. Ending the life of an animal or a man that has lost its purpose is considered a compassionate and unavoidable act. In this way, hegemonic masculinity in John Steinbeck’s Of Mice in Men is defined by a duality of homosocial desire and utilitarian violence.

The identity analysis of modern sociology claims that individuals, rather than presenting a “realistic”, or genuine picture of themselves, intends to highlight a desirable identity that is not rooted in its actual, current situation. Consequently, the individual opposes one identity and gives foreground to another which is in line with a specific image that intends to meet the norm of what it means to be a man, or a woman. Previous research shows how men tend to resign a victim role, because it goes against masculine ideals and thus refrains from seeking protection in the belief of not losing their masculinity. Thus, narratives are formed in which men tend to steer the impressions away from forced victimhood. What this study aims at, is to investigate hegemonic masculinity, and how it is expressed in connection with young men being exposed to crime and tactics of discrimination in pub-contexts. Through qualitative interviews with 5 informants, we have seen how young men relate to the role of victims of crime in a dissonance to their masculinity. And that it is possible to distinguish patterns of dominance and subordination between the “perpetrator” and the “victim”. What has been demonstrated is how hegemonic masculinity is reproduced in roles that do not evoke connotations of masculinity. The study also addresses the issue of men’s views on their own victimisation in shaping and reducing serious situations of violence. Which is derived in line with how hegemonic values are expressed. / Den moderna sociologins identitetsanalys hävdar att individer snarare än att presentera en realistisk, eller genuin bild av sig själv, ämnar framhäva en önskvärd identitet som inte är förankrad i dennes egentliga, aktuella situation. Följaktligen motsätter individen sig en identitet, och ger förgrund åt en annan som går i linje med en specifik bild som ämnar tillgodose normen av vad det innebär av att vara man, eller kvinna. Tidigare forskning påvisar hur män tenderar att avsäga sig en offerroll, då det går emot maskulina ideal och således avstå från att söka skydd i tro om att inte mista sin maskulinitet. Härvid bildas narrativ, i vilket män tenderar att styra intrycken bort från ett påtvingat offerskap. Vad denna studie syftar till är att undersöka hegemonisk maskulinitet, och hur det kommer till uttryck i samband med att unga män blivit utsatta för brott och taktiker av diskriminering i krogsammanhang. Genom kvalitativa intervjuer med 5 informanter har vi sett hur unga män förhåller sig till rollen som brottsoffer i en dissonans till sin maskulinitet, samt att det går att urskilja mönster av dominans och underordning förövaren och offret emellan. Det som således påvisats är hur hegemonisk maskulinitet reproduceras i roller som inte väcker konnotationer av maskulinitet. Studien tar också upp problematiken i mäns syn på sitt eget offerskap i gestaltandet och förminskandet av allvarliga våldssituationer. Vilket härleds i linje med hur hegemoniska värdegrunder tas i uttryck.

Gender has recently begun to receive attention as an important factor in the provision of security. Unfortunately, the consideration of gender is often mistakenly understood to mean a consideration of women and women’s issues, when in reality it pertains to the needs and interests of both men and women. Through an idea analysis, this thesis aims to study the ideas about gender expressed in contemporary security sector reform and local ownership debate. The analysis shows that gender specific violence towards civilian men and boys is repeatedly overlooked in security sector reform policy and debate. It further shows that marginalized men are not being valued as local owners of reform processes due to the ideas about men and women that permeate the debate. The theory of ‘hegemonic masculinity’ reveals how the ideas expressed serve to increase men’s vulnerabilities and further exclude them from the process of reform. The thesis concludes that because civilian men are overlooked in the debate, no substantial ownership can be attained. Because security sector reform is highly reliant on local ownership for legitimacy and sustainability, the thesis further suggests that the entire security sector reform project is compromised by the exclusion of men and boys.

Gaming is still commonly assumed to be a male activity, making gender differences prevalent in many areas of gaming. This research focuses on investigating how gender assumptions affect teammates’ responses in regard to strategic calls in the competitive online multiplayer game League of Legends. In order to explore this topic, A/B testing is utilized through playing highly competitive “ranked” games, alternating the gender of the in-game character played, and making strategic calls and requests to the other players on the team. Our results indicate that the strategic calls made with the female presenting character had a slightly higher follow-rate as compared to the male character. The female character also received a friend request, which was not the case for the male character. These findings are then discussed in relation to the hegemonic masculinity theory and the gender performativity theory, as well as a comparison with previous research.

This essay aims to investigate constructions of masculinity in Frank Chin’s Donald Duk and Charles Yu’s Interior Chinatown, comparing them to each other, and scrutinizing them through Raewyn Connell’s framework of hegemonic masculinity. Moreover, it aims to analyze the utilization of popular culture in identity formation within the two novels. Furthermore, it also aims to discuss how these novels can be utilized to discuss masculinity in the EFL classroom. To achieve these aims, the essay utilizes close reading of excerpts from the two novels. The analysis concludes that the protagonist of Donald Duk constructs masculinity with traits from hegemonic masculinity to combat the emasculation he experiences, while the protagonist from Interior Chinatown starts with the same ambition, he then rejects hegemonic masculinity in favor of a more empathetic masculinity. Additionally, both novels utilize representations of masculinity from popular culture as role models for the protagonists’ own identities. Lastly, it concludes that Donald Duk and Interior Chinatown can be of use in the EFL classroom to discuss toxic masculinity and alternative masculinities by highlighting the protagonists of the novels and tying the discussion to its authors, and the students’ own identities and experiences.