Pojkar och män
Om maskulinitetsforskning, Robert Bly och andra karlar
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54807/kp.v9.31477Nyckelord:
masculinity, maskulinitet, masculinity studies, feminist studies, queer theory, queerteori, normative heterosexuality, homosociality, homosocialitetAbstract
In this article contemporary research on masculinities is discussed. Through situating current research in relation to other family members in the research gender family Mellström positions studies of masculinity as siding with feminist studies as well as queer theory, by challenging and questioning normative heterosexuality. Research on masculinities is doing this by pluralising conceptions, images and stereotypes about masculinity through studies across time and space. This article also situates studies of masculinity in relation to the men's movement represented by such expressions as Robert Bly's mythopoetic Iron John or the strong "Fatherhood movement" in the U.S. Furthermore, it criticizes the strongly essentialistic assumptions that these movements base their conceptions of masculinity upon. As a conclusion, Mellström takes on Connells (1996) concept of body-reflexive practices to understand masculinity as well as femininity as continuously ongoing configurative social processes. He also predicts/hopes for a new trend within studies of masculinity and that is studies of the homosociality of powerful men.
