Perceptions and Interpretation of Contemporary Masculinities in Western Culture: A Systematic Review
The social construct of masculinity evolves in response to changes in society and culture. Orthodox masculinity is mostly considered to be hegemonic and is evidenced by the dominance of men over women and other, less powerful men. Contemporary shifts in masculinity have seen an emergence of new masc...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
SAGE Publishing
2021-11-01
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| Series: | American Journal of Men's Health |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/15579883211061009 |
| _version_ | 1819043995067613184 |
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| author | Sandra Connor Kristina Edvardsson Christopher Fisher Evelien Spelten |
| author_facet | Sandra Connor Kristina Edvardsson Christopher Fisher Evelien Spelten |
| author_sort | Sandra Connor |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The social construct of masculinity evolves in response to changes in society and culture. Orthodox masculinity is mostly considered to be hegemonic and is evidenced by the dominance of men over women and other, less powerful men. Contemporary shifts in masculinity have seen an emergence of new masculinities that challenge traditional male stereotypes. This systematic review aims to review and synthesize the existing empirical research on contemporary masculinities and to conceptualize how they are understood and interpreted by men themselves. A literature search was undertaken on 10 databases using terms regularly used to identify various contemporary masculinities. Analysis of the 33 included studies identified four key elements that are evident in men’s descriptions of contemporary masculinity. These four elements, (a) Inclusivity, (b) Emotional Intimacy, (c) Physicality, and (d) Resistance, are consistent with the literature describing contemporary masculinities, including Hybrid Masculinities and Inclusive Masculinity Theory. The synthesized findings indicate that young, middle-class, heterosexual men in Western cultures, while still demonstrating some traditional masculinity norms, appear to be adopting some aspects of contemporary masculinities. The theories of hybrid and inclusive masculinity suggest these types of masculinities have several benefits for both men and society in general. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T10:05:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1bb792ebdcec454ba7b12360ff4748f8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1557-9891 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T10:05:38Z |
| publishDate | 2021-11-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | American Journal of Men's Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-1bb792ebdcec454ba7b12360ff4748f82022-12-21T19:07:50ZengSAGE PublishingAmerican Journal of Men's Health1557-98912021-11-011510.1177/15579883211061009Perceptions and Interpretation of Contemporary Masculinities in Western Culture: A Systematic ReviewSandra Connor0Kristina Edvardsson1Christopher Fisher2Evelien Spelten3Department of Rural Nursing & Midwifery, La Trobe Rural Health School, Mildura, Victoria, AustraliaJudith Lumley Centre, School of Nursing and Midwifery, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, AustraliaAustralian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, School of Psychology & Public Health, LaTrobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, AustraliaDepartment of Community Health, La Trobe Rural Health School, Mildura, Victoria, AustraliaThe social construct of masculinity evolves in response to changes in society and culture. Orthodox masculinity is mostly considered to be hegemonic and is evidenced by the dominance of men over women and other, less powerful men. Contemporary shifts in masculinity have seen an emergence of new masculinities that challenge traditional male stereotypes. This systematic review aims to review and synthesize the existing empirical research on contemporary masculinities and to conceptualize how they are understood and interpreted by men themselves. A literature search was undertaken on 10 databases using terms regularly used to identify various contemporary masculinities. Analysis of the 33 included studies identified four key elements that are evident in men’s descriptions of contemporary masculinity. These four elements, (a) Inclusivity, (b) Emotional Intimacy, (c) Physicality, and (d) Resistance, are consistent with the literature describing contemporary masculinities, including Hybrid Masculinities and Inclusive Masculinity Theory. The synthesized findings indicate that young, middle-class, heterosexual men in Western cultures, while still demonstrating some traditional masculinity norms, appear to be adopting some aspects of contemporary masculinities. The theories of hybrid and inclusive masculinity suggest these types of masculinities have several benefits for both men and society in general.https://doi.org/10.1177/15579883211061009 |
| spellingShingle | Sandra Connor Kristina Edvardsson Christopher Fisher Evelien Spelten Perceptions and Interpretation of Contemporary Masculinities in Western Culture: A Systematic Review American Journal of Men's Health |
| title | Perceptions and Interpretation of Contemporary Masculinities in Western Culture: A Systematic Review |
| title_full | Perceptions and Interpretation of Contemporary Masculinities in Western Culture: A Systematic Review |
| title_fullStr | Perceptions and Interpretation of Contemporary Masculinities in Western Culture: A Systematic Review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Perceptions and Interpretation of Contemporary Masculinities in Western Culture: A Systematic Review |
| title_short | Perceptions and Interpretation of Contemporary Masculinities in Western Culture: A Systematic Review |
| title_sort | perceptions and interpretation of contemporary masculinities in western culture a systematic review |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/15579883211061009 |
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