Masculinities & Social Change

Gender Equality in Vietnam Labour Law: A Critique Toward Sustainable Development

Hoang Minh Dang — Fri, 21 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0100

Labor law is traditionally viewed as a crucial mechanism for advancing gender equality in the workplace by providing a framework to eliminate sex-based discrimination and enhance women’s participation in the workforce. As nations strive to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the significance of such laws is amplified, with gender equality not only a key indicator but also an enabler for other SDGs. This study demonstrates that, despite recent reforms in Vietnam's labour law reducing barriers to female employment, pervasive gender inequality persists, fuelled by enduring employment stereotypes that often depict women as victims. To develop a sustainable workforce, Vietnam's labor laws and policies should implement strategies to dismantle these stereotypes. This research suggests transitioning from the traditional approach of female protection to involving men in domestic roles. A strategy targeting men is expected to promote gender equality in the Vietnamese workforce by altering employer perceptions of female employees' maternal roles. From the perspective of masculinity theory, the potential of paternity bonuses is significant; they can enhance women’s career opportunities by alleviating domestic burdens and broadening acceptable roles for men.

A Worker’s Suicide as the Collapse of Masculinity: The Analysis of The Movie "My Father's Wings”

Sidar Çınar — Fri, 21 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0100

My Father's Wings by Kıvanç Sezer (2016) shows us how loneliness and desperation are experienced, based on a case of a Turkish construction worker. This article analyzes the film My Father's Wings using the film sociology methodology and focusing on gender and the approach of the Turkish cinema industry that has emphasized emotions after the 2000s. The intertwined experiences of masculinity crisis and being a worker are discussed by articulating Turkish cinema and Turkey's social and political dynamics in the analysis of the film. Based on the film, the collapse of the two pillars on which masculinity is built as the head of the family and the master worker and individualization in the working class and society in general are discussed within the political and social atmosphere that resulted in everyone's withdrawal to their own world.

Masculinity and Migration: Minors in Digital Media, Discursive Construction and Impact on Social Inequality

Isabel María Martínez-Salvador, Rocío Ortíz-Amo, Jesús Muyor-Rodríguez — Fri, 21 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0100

The particularities of under-age adolescents who migrate alone highlight the urgent needs for intervention by the different actors involved. The media play an important role in the construction of social imaginaries about specific populations. A qualitative analysis has been carried out, using the constant comparison method, with the aim of examining the media treatment of unaccompanied foreign minors in Spain and the impact it has had on society. The results highlight three categories of analysis: nature of the problem, management and discursive actors. News content is mainly based on manifestations of hate speech, racism and stigmatisation of groups of young people who migrate alone. The solutions reported in the press are associated with political and institutional intervention to the detriment of preventive and community actions. This is interpreted as a sign of criminalization of the group, which is mainly male and migrant, which is a risk, as these news items generate social rejection towards them. These conclusions call for the reinforcement of social interventions in terms of awareness-raising and sensitisation, which are fundamental for intercultural coexistence and social equality.

Unveiling Masculinity in Motion: Exploring the Dynamics of Masculine Identity through Reog Dance in Javanese Culture

Nadi Suprapto, Roy Martin Simamora — Fri, 21 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0100

This research explores perceptions and expressions of masculinity within the Reog dance tradition in Javanese culture. Through in-depth interviews, participant observation, and thematic analysis, the study uncovers diverse perspectives on masculinity, revealing its rich symbolic meanings and cultural significance. Findings illuminate the intricate interplay between tradition and modernity and how gender dynamics manifest in Reog dance performances. The research also highlights the role of the Reog dance in shaping and negotiating gender identities within Javanese society while acknowledging the evolution of masculine ideals over time and across different social contexts. Ultimately, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of masculinity as a culturally constructed phenomenon, shedding light on its manifestations, variations, and transformations within traditional performing arts in Java.

Masculinities in the Context of Seasonal Migration between Spain-France: Young Men, Alcohol Consumption and Gender-Based Violence

Rubén Gregorio Pérez-García, Belén Agrela-Romero, Juan López-Morales — Fri, 21 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0100

In this text we reflect on alcohol consumption among young Andalusian males in agricultural migratory contexts, paying attention to the possible relationships with substance use. We have conducted a study, with multi-localized fieldwork in Spain and France between 2020-2023, where we interviewed in depth 31 young Andalusian men involved in the French grape harvest. We used a qualitative methodology to explore how certain practices of consumption and violence can be exacerbated in situations of labor exploitation. Even though consumption is a practice rooted in the place of origin, the results reveal that male and family mandates, harsh working conditions as well as the role of the employer at destination are associated with an increase in alcohol consumption and gender-based violence. Leisure spaces, such as bars and peer-to-peer meetings after work, also play a crucial role in shaping masculinities, which are delineated within the framework of a patriarchal and consumer culture. The mandates of masculinity and migration are not the only factors that explain problematic consumption or violence among young men. These are complex, multi-causal and multidimensional processes that highlight the need for an intersectional understanding.