REFLECTIONS ON THE ARCHETYPAL HETEROSEXUAL MALE BODY

Abstract

Despite the emerging array of papers on the male body, many are functionalist in their approach in terms of answering a question or questions around ‘bodies’ or ‘body image’ and often from a positivist epistemology. Much of this previous research has focused broadly on ‘males’ or specifically ‘gay males’. Consequently, there is a distinct absence of focus on heterosexual men's bodies and the meaning of these bodies within broader culture. This paper aims to redress the paucity of analysis around the heterosexual male body using in-depth qualitative interviews to listen to the voices of younger and older heterosexual males.