Masculinities and Violence: Interruption of hegemonic discourses in an English classroom

Abstract

In this paper I explore ways in which adolescent male students perceive war and violence and related gender discourses. My research is situated in a Year 10 English classroom in a private boys’ school in Perth, Australia. Interviews with students and their teacher provide opportunities to explore perceptions and ideas on issues relating to war and violence. It appears that discourses of violence are closely associated with hegemonic forms of masculinity which specifically exclude females. It also appears that although pedagogical practices do not condone violence, they retain violence in an unquestioned, unchallengeable position in classroom discourses. I found that discourses which challenge war and violence were not always easily accessible to these adolescent male students.

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank Dr Wayne Martino for his very helpful comments on this paper. My thanks also go to the two anonymous referees for their comments.

Notes

1. Peter Weir's film Gallipoli is portrayed from an Australian perspective, showing Australia's involvement in a growing European war during the First World War. Although an anti-war film, it nevertheless celebrates and romanticizes male friendship in the extreme conditions generated by war. The two main protagonists are Archie, a blond romantic country boy, and Frank, who is from the city. Using the war in Europe as a background, the film shows how Archie and Frank meet and become friends while running in races in Australia. When they enlist they are placed in different regiments as ‘runners’: Archie into the elite Light Horse regiment and Frank into the Infantry. However, they meet again in Egypt and become comrades-in-arms when Frank is able to transfer to the elite Light Horse regiment. Gallipoli becomes their next stop and the film highlights Australia's participation in the war through the fighting in Gallipoli and the fruitlessness of that battle.