Masculinities & Social Change

The Role of Migration Processes in the Creation of New Masculinities

Lucía Martínez-Joya — 2025-06-20

Men are oppressed by the influence of hegemonic masculinities precepts. This study that is within the project PID 2021-1271130D-I00, explores the factors and the mechanisms of masculinities creation, masculinities’ influence ONB migratory processes and hate speeches related to them. For this reason, through qualitative methodology and a phenomenological approach, a sample of eight individuals were given semi-structured interviews to investigate and describe the state of masculinity in Almería. The objectives were to highlight the elements that allow the construction of the autochthonous hegemonic masculinities and to know their relationship with Moroccan immigrants’ masculinities, trying to comprehend whether there has been a hybridization of masculinities. According to the results, the theoretical sample follows some of the new masculinities precepts, as well as the process of otherness that young Moroccans raised in Spain apply to those raised in Morocco. This eventuality confirms that the theory is disconnected from reality, overall, resulting in the fact that people perpetuate ideas which are not in line with reality.

Fatherhood Experiences of Male Cocaine Users and/or Polydrug users

Katherin Rojas-Espínola — 2025-06-20

Substance use in men is associated with the construction of masculinity and lower perception of risk or harm. Substance use is used to cope with high levels of contextual stress. Although substance use affects childcare performance, fatherhood can become a driver of change to abandon/decrease substance use and become involved in parenting. This qualitative study aims to address the experiences of parenthood and substance use. By conducting a focus group of men (4 participants), data are collected and analyzed with grounded theory. The results show that fatherhood could be seen as an incentive for change or an additional stressor. If fathers manage to control consumption, they can get involved in their parental and child-rearing role, but if they do not manage to control it, conflicts are generated with the couple, family and child-rearing. It is concluded that there is an association between male gender stereotypes and consumption behaviors, encouraging consumption from an early age. They recognize the importance of support networks and specialized treatment programs that are sensitive to their needs and circumstances.

Making Space for Men? Men’s Participation in the Field of Gender Equality in Iceland from 1990-2020

Arnar Gíslason — 2025-06-20

Men's involvement in the work for gender equality in the ‘feminist paradise’ of Iceland is a politically prioritised but under-researched area. We examine the premise for men's involvement in gender equality work from 1990 to 2020 in terms of initiatives, ideological underpinnings, and what opportunities and challenges it brings to the field. Using thematic analysis of archive material, committee reports, newspapers, and other data we demonstrate that the invitation by which men's involvement started, was succeeded by men's own initiative. Initially, a feminist informed approach with an emphasis on gender-based violence existed along men's rights perspectives. However, the ambiguities between these two strands developed into separate pathways. The study also indicates a differential and privileged treatment for men in gender equality work. The involvement of men in gender equality work generates challenges and paradoxes which the agents in the field must engage with. We argue that there is a risk that engaging men in gender equality work reproduces gendered power dynamics, and that it must be addressed by asking how and on what premise men should be included.

Bodies, Booze, and Bros: an Ethnographic Study of Masculinity at Las Vegas Beach and Day Clubs

Christopher Vito — 2025-06-20

Beach and Day Clubs are popular alternatives to traditional nightclubs, as events occur in the daytime with the body on full display in swim attire. My research provides a significant contribution to the literature in masculinity due to the difficulty in gaining insider status to Las Vegas Beach and Day Clubs specifically. Drawing from participant observation and interviews over a six-year period, the findings reveal how they are a unique site of masculinity construction for men through the body, both outside and inside the venue. They also serve as places to reproduce gendered hierarchies and masculinities. The results additionally highlight the importance of homosociality and girl hunting in understanding group interaction among men, and the implications they have on those in these leisure spaces.

Counter-Narrative or Marketing Gimmick? Defining Male Beauty in Indonesian Skincare Ads from the Lens of Young Male Audience

Salsabila Mutia Rahmadani — 2025-06-20

This paper originates from an awareness of a prevailing issue among Indonesian male audiences who tend to criticize the portrayals of male skincare users as deviating from traditional masculinity. Challenging these conventional ideals, MS Glow X Keanu ads features Indonesian male influencer, Keanu, who defies traditional male beauty notions by presenting traditionally feminine visual elements and practices that contradicts the established standards of male beauty advertising. This paper aims to provide insights into the perspective of young male audiences who are active skincare users as informants; how they define male beauty through the depiction of Keanu in the ads. Using a reception analysis method, this paper considers informants’ level of involvement in skincare usage and the influence of other internal and external socio-cultural factors on their interpretations. The findings show that even though informants tend to see and agree that Keanu’s appearance on the ads as the counter-narrative for stereotypical male beauty, they also suspect that Keanu’s usage as model of ads is merely a marketing gimmick from MS Glow, because of his virality and impact factors among Indonesian youngsters.