Over the past decade, scholarly works have examined the plurality and diversity of men in relation to social practices of Arab cultures, while also examining discourses of violence, militarization and hegemonic masculinity in times of war and conflict. However, there has been little discussion and critical literature concerning non- heterosexual (or queer) representations of masculinities in the Arab world. Within such context, this dissertation addresses the emerging and shifting visual representations of ‘queer’ masculinities as they are artistically performed in the contemporary lens-based artworks of internationally recognized Lebanese artist Akram Zaatari. Much of the research on queerness in the Arab region risks falling into a colonialist and liberatory framework that seeks to discover an ‘authentic’ queer identity. Contrary to such approaches, I argue for the fluidity of a local queer Arab model of disidentification underpinning Zaatari’s artworks, which questions our perceived realities of both queerness and hegemonic masculinity in Post-Civil War Lebanon. Taking an interdisciplinary approach that integrates cross-cultural comparative and queer visual analysis, I locate Zaatari’s artworks within a larger sociocultural context, as well as within and in tension with existing feminist and contemporary art discourses on the body, identity, and performativity. By examining visual and textual representations of local queer masculinities, this dissertation engages in dynamic discussions on the process of masculinization and elaborates on its future cultural and artistic trends both in the Arab world and in Western countries.

Sexual violence is ubiquitous throughout the Anglophone West and shows no sign of abating. Feminist analysis has long demonstrated that this is a problem grounded in gender relations, patterns of masculine socialisation, and patriarchal social organisation. However, this thesis proposes that the roots of the Anglophone West’s rape culture also extend far beyond matters of gender and sexuality, deep into the core of the dominant culture itself. Setting feminist theory in dialogue with wider socio-cultural analysis, the research explores the complex relationships between the prevailing ideologies, ethics, systems, structures and practices of the dominant culture and the Anglophone West’s high incidence of sexual violence. In so doing, it reveals that, contrary to popular misconceptions, rape is neither a ‘natural’ nor a ‘savage’ act but a highly ‘civilised’ one which expresses the foundational philosophies of Anglophone Western culture in a sexualised, gendered form. Specifically, it shows that sexual objectification, which presents women as little more than ‘rapable bodies’, is part of a far wider pattern of normalised objectification developing from the Anglophone West’s underlying belief that some lives are worth less than others and so may be legitimately used and ‘consumed’ for personal gain. Expanding this to include analysis of men who commit sexual violence, it also establishes that perpetrators’ ‘rapist mentalities’, or the modes of thought and relation that enable and motivate rapists to commit rape, function as interpersonal, gendered expressions of the Anglophone West’s celebration of and reliance upon exploitation, conquest and coercive rule. Through these arguments, the thesis ultimately demonstrates that rape is not only an act of gender violence but also an inevitable manifestation of the dominant culture of the Anglophone West at large which can be fully addressed and challenged only by expanding analytical frameworks to include broad socio-cultural critiques and diverse social justice activism. In taking this position, the thesis expands understanding of rape beyond the limits of existing research and raises significant issues for both future scholarship and the ongoing struggle against sexual violence.

Café magazine is a Swedish men’s lifestyle magazine aimed at men between the ages of 18 and 35. The magazine writes about what men should wear, what they should drink, which new gadgets they should buy and a lot more. They aim to teach men about how to live their lives. This study focuses on how the magazine writes about men, and how they portray masculinities. The questions this study has tried to answer are -How are the men portrayed in the lifestyle magazine Café? And - Which images of masculinities are being distributed to the readers?   What we found was that the normative images of masculinities are being distributed to the readers, but also that the magazine was trying to break the existing normative by talking about deeper feelings and therapy with the men being interviewed for the magazine. It seems the magazine are trying to keep up with the fast-changing world but not quite being able to keep up. According to Giddens and Sutton (2014) it would be helpful for the readers of magazines to be exposed to normative breaking material. That way they could start breaking normatives as well as the magazine.

This thesis addresses gender, masculinities and intimate partner violence in Poland. More specifically, the aim of this study is to problematize how masculinities are represented in Polish anti-violence social campaigns. Intimate partner violence is one of the most common forms of violence against women and is a major problem that affects both  men and women in Poland. The study approaches violence from a feminist position, and considers  men's violence to be an important element constructing masculinities. In the study, social campaigns are considered as policies which have a great potential to influence existing masculinities types and to introduce new, non-violent models of being a man. With the use of Bacchi`s “What`s the problem represented to be?” method and an intersectional perspective on gender and masculinities, Polish anti-violence campaigns are analysed to find out if they reproduce and/or challenge any social assumptions regarding men`s violence. The study found that even though campaigns challenged some of the existing masculinities types,  they also referred to existing discourses of men as protectors, providers and fighters. Final conclusions underline the need for awareness social campaigns directed towards men and with men as role models. Refraining from the use of masculinities connected with heroism and dominance, aggression and violence is recommended.

Issues of fertility, population growth and birth control are synonymous with women. Therefore, there is a void of the male perspective on issues pertaining to reproductive health. There is a reproductive health discourse, in which bio-psychosocial service such as family planning is woman-based. Whilst on the other hand statistics on absent fathers and contested pregnancies, are reaching millions and thus the effectiveness of these services are questionable. Therefore, men’s health and sexuality requires careful understanding so as to unfold narrations of denied paternity and men’s ‘assumed’ lack of responsibility in questions of contraception. Through in-depth interviews with 14 unmarried men from the townships of Soweto and Kagiso, this research found that contraception is a gendered concept that constructs various experiences for men in how they perceive sexual reproductive health services. It also found that denied paternity and father absences are rooted not only in historical factors but also in feminised conceptions of contraception and how this conception speaks to notions of how responsibility is distributed and withheld. Furthermore, it acknowledges that there are different conceptions of denied paternity and father absence and thus, shapes men’s experiences and expectations of fatherhood. Finally, it argues that masculine sexualities, notions of pleasure and issues of fertility are shaped by sexual socialisation processes; this also links how men transition from boyhood to manhood through circumcision and initiation schools not only as a cultural and religious practice but as a health practice. These narratives were captured through using thematic content analysis in investigating unmarried men’s perceptions of contraceptives and ideas of father absence and denied paternity. This research contributes to the existing knowledge on family and children services, with specific attention to family planning and the provision of services to young men and women regarding reproductive rights and responsibilities.

This study attempts to understand the nature of the state and its relationship with its citizens. It explores this question through the study of one of the state’s institutions – the maintenance system; its conception of gender identities and relationships is examined. Through a close analysis of this system, and its effects on men and women, the thesis explores the making of contemporary gender identities in South Africa. The study also pays particular attention to current conceptions of what it means to be a man. The study examines men’s views of maintenance laws as they experience it, with a focus on the differing conceptions of fatherhood held by a range of men, and how they relate to hegemonic conceptions of masculinity espoused by the maintenance system. The study also looks at how these hegemonic understandings of masculinity limit the chances for men to be ‘successful’ fathers and fulfilled persons. The central premise of this thesis is that masculinity exists outside the realms of the natural and biological. Rather, it asserts that masculinity is embodied in social relations, which are constantly changing and are context-bound. Naturalised definitions of masculinity are limiting to fathers in a social, political and economic context which is shifting. This study is driven by the question: what options and alternatives are available to men and fathers with regards to role formation, especially in their interaction with the maintenance system and their relationships with their children?

Magister Artium - MA / This study questions why domestic work that is generally considered a feminine job is yet a field dominated by men in the city of Nampula, Mozambique. In the attempt to explain this phenomenon, the research explores economic, social and cultural aspects. Due to the fact that Nampula is a province with a strong Islamic presence and the majority of the population identify themselves as belonging to the Makhuwa ethnic group—which is traditionally defined by a matrilinear kinship system—I argue that the domestic sector remaines masculinised because of the influence of the matrilinear values and gendered practices. I also argue that the Islamic patriarchal values play a decisive role as men see themselves as the exclusive family providers and for that reason forbid their wives to develop and to get engaged in economic activities outside the household. This study also explores notions of masculinity in connection with domestic work and examines how male domestic workers, coming from rural areas and employed in the city, perceive and perform their masculine identities. How does the job of the domestic worker shape particular understandings of masculinity? Given the fact that many domestic workers in Nampula are immigrant people from the rural areas of the Zambézia province, I argue that migrating and working in the city is considered as a way to achieve a manhood as immigrants have access to goods that can only be purchased in urban contexts and are scarce in the villages. The access to all these “modern” commodities and the experience of the city make the immigrant young boys to gain respect in their original communities.

Thesis advisor: Ana M. Martínez-Alemán / The purpose of this study of college men of faith was to posit a theory of the intersection of masculinity and faith in college men’s identity. This study was conducted from a social constructivist epistemological paradigm through an intersectionality social justice theoretical lens utilizing a constructivist grounded theory methodology. The following research questions guided this study: (a) how do masculinity and faith identities intersect in college men who actively participate in faith-based communities, and (b) how does this intersection inform college men’s development? Two interviews were conducted with twelve Christian college men from Catholic and Protestant traditions at two large, four-year, highly residential, and high research activity universities in the Northeast with parallel offerings for faith-based communities. The theory that emerged from this study was grounded in the participants’ experiences at the intersection of masculinity and faith in college men’s identity through constant interaction with cultural expectations of them as men of faith. In order to meet these expectations at the intersection of masculinity and faith, participants described a meaning-making process of accountability and affirmation, where they negotiated masculinity and faith identities and were more likely to receive accountability and affirmation from their faith communities than a hypersexualized and very individualistic masculine culture, which resulted in a greater conformance to faith and religious principles. Through this process, participants were able to create a more harmonious identity at the intersection of masculinity and faith. The theory of accountability and affirmation is present in three major themes of this study: (a) family and relationships; (b) career, calling, and vocation; and (c) sex and sexuality. The theory of the intersection of masculinity and faith in college men’s identity has implications relevant to theory development, student affairs and campus ministry practice, and future research. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2015. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education.

This thesis investigates how white working-class boys experience social and learner identities in three educational sites. It presents the findings of an in-depth sociological study of teenage boys from one locality in South London, focusing on the practices of ‘meaning-making’ and ‘identity work,’ the boys’ experience and the various disjunctures and commonalities between the social and learner identities. Working-class boys are often presented in homogeneous terms and this study explores the heterogeneity of being a working-class boy and the diversity of their experiences in education. The work is positioned within the debates regarding masculinity in schooling and working-class disadvantage; my focus is on how boys’ ‘lifeworlds’ are created in contrast and in relation to their schooling experience. How boys contend with neoliberal educational processes which are fundamentally about “continually changing the self, making informed choices, engaging in competition, and taking chances” (Phoenix 2004: 229) and the construction of what I call ‘egalitarianism’ was an important homogenous feature in the data. The methodological approach employed is integral to gaining this understanding. I draw on Bourdieu’s signature concepts and theoretical framework in order to understand the complexities and negotiations surrounding reconciling educational success with working-class values. To further my understanding, I also utilise elements of intersectionality questioning, in order to address the interplay between class, gender and ethnicity in the social and learner identities the boys constitute and reconstitute through the various discursive practices in which they participate.

O presente estudo teve como objetivo analisar as questões de gênero e sexualidade suscitadas a partir da presença de professores homens que atuam nos Anos Iniciais do Ensino Fundamental em duas roças no interior da Bahia. Ao longo do processo de generificação das profissões, diversos ofícios foram feminizados. Contudo, o magistério se destaca entre os demais, pois ainda hoje há uma acentuada demarcação dessa profissão como ideal para as mulheres. A pesquisa situa-se nos campos teóricos dos estudos de gênero, estudos culturais e pós-estruturalismo e estudos das masculinidades. A roça foi compreendida na pesquisa enquanto um lugar generificado e sexualizado que apresenta seus próprios discursos nas construções de gênero e sexualidade. Embora não seja o foco central da pesquisa a Educação do/no Campo também é abordada na dissertação, uma vez que é nessa modalidade de ensino que as duas escolas pesquisadas estão inseridas. A metodologia escolhida foi a etnografia e como procedimentos de produção de dados foram utilizadas a observação-participante, a elaboração do caderno de anotações e entrevistas-semiestruturadas Foram entrevistados dezesseis adultos, sendo pais, professores/as gestores/as e quatro crianças, duas de cada escola. Além das conversas informais com diversos atores sociais da comunidade escolar e rural, mas os três professores homens são considerados os principais informantes da pesquisa. A partir das análises realizadas é possível concluir que a presença dos professores homens na docência com crianças ainda desperta questionamentos, tensões e pânicos morais. Foi possível observar que essas construções discursivas refletem nas suas aulas e na relação com as crianças. A partir dos dados produzidos emergiram três categorias analíticas centrais: o medo da pedofilia, os questionamentos em torno das masculinidades dos professores e as práticas pedagógicas que buscam um distanciamento de qualquer elemento considerado culturalmente como feminino. Por meio de diferentes discursos esses homens ao optarem por uma profissão historicamente feminizada são vistos como fora do lugar. / The current paper aimed to analyze gender and sexuality issues aroused from the presence of two male teachers who work in the First Years of Elementary School in two different sites in the countryside in the State of Bahia. Along the gender formation process present in the occupations, several ones were considered feminine. However, the teaching stands out from the others, once even today there is a pronounced demarcation of this profession as ideal for women. The present research is located in the theoretical fields of gender studies, cultural studies and also post-structuralism. The countryside was understood in the research as a gendered and sexualized place which presents its own discourses in the construction of gender and sexuality. Although it is not the central focus of this research, the Education in/of the countryside is also approached in the dissertation, once it is in this teaching modality that the two researched schools are inserted. The methodology chosen was the ethnography and as the data production procedures the participative-observation was utilized, as well as the elaboration of a diary for notes and also semi-structured interviews Sixteen adults were interviewed, among parents, teachers, school administrators as well as four children, two from each school. Besides the informal conversations with several social actors from the school community and the rural community, the three male teachers were considered the main informers of the research. From the carried analyzes it is possible to conclude that the presence of male teachers within the context of the teaching practicing with children still provokes questionings, tensions and moral panic. It was possible to observe that such discursive constructions are reflected in their classes and in their relation with the children. From the produced data, three central analytic categories emerged: the fear of pedophilia, the questionings around the teachers‟ masculinities and the pedagogical practices which search for a distance from any element culturally considered as feminine. By means of different discourses, these men, by opting for a historically feminine profession are seen as out of their places.