"Hegemonic masculinity is defined as a practice that legitimizes men's dominant position in society and justifies the subordination of the common male population and women, and other marginalized ways of being a man."
The dominant social construction of masculinity and its effects on individuals and society.
Patriarchy: Patriarchy is a social system where men hold more power and authority than women, and this power dynamic is reinforced through various social, cultural, and legal mechanisms.
Gender identity: Gender identity is a person's subjective sense of being male or female, which is different from their biological sex.
Gender socialization: Gender socialization is the process through which individuals learn and internalize gender norms and expectations, including what is considered masculine or feminine behavior.
Toxic masculinity: Toxic masculinity refers to the negative traits and behaviors associated with traditional notions of masculinity, such as aggression, dominance, and emotional suppression.
Hegemonic masculinity: Hegemonic masculinity is the dominant form of masculinity that is culturally constructed and normalized within a given society, and it is often associated with power, privilege, and social status.
Homophobia: Homophobia is the fear or hatred of homosexuality or homosexual people, and it is often associated with strict gender roles and traditional notions of masculinity.
Feminism: Feminism is a social and political movement that seeks to eliminate gender-based inequalities and promote gender equality for all people.
Intersectionality: Intersectionality is the idea that individuals experience multiple and intersecting forms of oppression based on factors such as race, gender, sexuality, and class, among others.
Masculinity and violence: The link between masculinity and violence is a key topic in masculinity studies, as men are more likely to perpetrate violent acts than women.
Masculinity and sexuality: Masculinity is often defined by traditional notions of heterosexuality and sexual conquest, which can lead to harmful attitudes and behaviors toward women and marginalized groups.
Masculinity and emotions: The rigid expectations of traditional masculinity often discourage men from expressing vulnerability or emotionality, which can have negative consequences for their mental health and relationships.
Masculinity and sports: Sports are often seen as a means of reinforcing traditional gender norms, particularly around ideas of strength and athleticism as key markers of masculinity.
Masculinity and media: Media depictions of men often reinforce traditional ideas of masculinity, including the importance of physical strength, emotional detachment, and sexual conquest.
Masculinity and fatherhood: Fathers often play a key role in shaping their children's gender identities and attitudes toward masculinity, which can have lifelong impacts.
Masculinity and work: Traditional notions of masculinity often prioritize paid work or career success as key markers of masculine identity, which can lead to discrimination and workplace inequalities for women and marginalized groups.
"In gender studies, hegemonic masculinity is part of R. W. Connell's gender order theory."
"Hegemonic masculinity is part of R. W. Connell's gender order theory, which recognizes multiple masculinities that vary across time, society, culture, and the individual."
"Hegemonic masculinity proposes to explain how and why men maintain dominant social roles over women, and other gender identities, which are perceived as 'feminine' in a given society."
"Hence, in the term hegemonic masculinity, the adjective hegemonic refers to the cultural dynamics by means of which a social group claims, and sustains, a leading and dominant position in a social hierarchy."
"The nature of hegemonic masculinity derives from the theory of cultural hegemony, by Marxist theorist Antonio Gramsci."
"Hegemonic masculinity embodies a form of social organization that has been sociologically challenged and changed."
"Many sociologists criticized that definition of hegemonic masculinity as a fixed character-type, which is analytically limited, because it excludes the complexity of different, and competing, forms of masculinity."
"Hegemonic masculinity was reformulated to include gender hierarchy, the geography of masculine configurations, the processes of social embodiment, and the psycho-social dynamics of the varieties of masculinity."
"Proponents of the concept of hegemonic masculinity argue that it is conceptually useful for understanding gender relations and is applicable to life-span development, education, criminology, the representations of masculinity in the mass communications media, the health of men and women, and the functional structure of organizations."
"Critics argue that hegemonic masculinity is heteronormative."
"Hegemonic masculinity is not self-reproducing."
"It ignores positive aspects of masculinity."
"It relies on a flawed underlying concept of masculinity."
"Critics argue... it is too ambiguous to have practical application."
"...legitimizes men's dominant position in society and justifies the subordination of the common male population and women."
"The theory of cultural hegemony analyzes the power relations among the social classes of a society."
"The conceptual beginnings of hegemonic masculinity represented the culturally idealized form of manhood that was socially and hierarchically exclusive and concerned with bread-winning; that was anxiety-provoking and differentiated (internally and hierarchically); that was brutal and violent, pseudo-natural and tough, psychologically contradictory, and thus crisis-prone; economically rich and socially sustained."
"Hegemonic masculinity was reformulated to include gender hierarchy."
"It is applicable to life-span development, education, criminology, the representations of masculinity in the mass communications media, the health of men and women, and the functional structure of organizations."