Men and masculinities: a continuing debate on change

ABSTRACT

One of the debates currently unfolding in the field of critical men and masculinities studies concerns whether and how men and masculinities are changing. Engaging in critical discussions with scholars working with theorizations of inclusive and hybrid masculinities, this article aims to move these discussions, and relevant research, forward. The article canvasses how scholars discuss ‘change’ towards inclusive and hybrid masculinities, the conditions that allegedly facilitate this, and their views regarding wider systems of inequality and hierarchies between men and women, and among men. The article suggests that to understand change in all its complexity, more attention should be placed on the underlying conditions that encourage change among some men. It further proposes a multi-layered intersectional analysis that takes into careful consideration how axes of social identity intersect and affect opportunities for engagement with more inclusive or hybrid masculinities, and highlights the important role that contextual, situational, and interactional conditions may play in affecting the repertoire of possible manifestations and configurations of masculinity.

KEYWORDS:

• Men
• hybrid masculinities
• inclusive masculinities
• change
• intersectionality
• homophobia

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Notes

1 NORMA: International Journal of Masculinity Studies; Men and Masculinities; The Journal of Men’s Studies.

2 Already concerned with masculinity and the dynamics of gender since the 1970s, Connell developed her theoretical model in the 1980s and 1990s (Connell, 1982, 1983, 1987, 2005a) as a critique of the sex role theory. Connell’s framework revolved around issues of power and relations of inequality (Carrigan, Connell, & Lee, 1985; Connell, 2005a). ‘Hegemonic masculinity’, a central concept in this, was introduced in the booklet Ockers and Disco-Maniacs (Kessler and Inner City Education Centre, 1982), developed in later publications (Carrigan et al., 1985; Connell, 1982, 1987) and refined in Connell’s book Masculinities (2005a).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Andria Christofidou

Andria Christofidou is currently employed at the University of Cyprus. She works as a post-doctoral researcher on the ‘Developing Equality Allies: An Innovative Workplace Inclusion Programme’ (Department of Business & Public Administration) and teaches sociological modules in the School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Cyprus. Andria’s research is concerned with gender, and particularly masculinities, and sexualities. Since the completion of her doctoral research, which focused on men and masculinities in the field of professional dance in Scotland (University of Glasgow, 2017), she has worked on research projects focusing particularly on gender and sexualities in the workplace in Cyprus.