Tornar-se homem: O projeto masculino na perspectiva de gênero

Abstract

The present research aims to describe and discuss how different male attributes are critical for the definition of the self of specific men, and how it refers to a process that is negotiated at different stages of one s life cycle. This study sought to understand this negotiation process from the perspective of interpersonal relationships and their intersection with the prerogatives of the hegemonic masculinity. The research included four men aged 35-45, of middle class and high middle class backgrounds, living in cities and drawn from a non-clinical population. Two theoretical approaches formed the basis for the conceptual framework of the investigation: critical studies on men and masculinity and gender perspective. The results show the advantages of using these men s life stories as an intermediary for male studies. Masculinity (being a male), far from being cast in concrete, is something that is defined and negotiated over time in different arenas and with different partners. The family (especially the father and the mother) is coparticipant in the construction of the gender order at birth, during childhood and adolescence. The process of embodiment of the hegemonic masculinity is often associated with heterosexuality, strength, endurance, hardness and physical competence. It is possible to think of male hegemony as fluid, fragile, subject to being threatened and continually guaranteed. Men define themselves in relation to other men, while women are seen as playing a supporting role. This may cause others to perceive them as being subordinate, which expresses the notion of how invisible male privilege can be, and therefore, how difficult it is to reckon with it