| Titel: | Ambiguous masculinities, appealing sexualities |
|---|---|
| Autor: | Pedersen, W und Vestel, V |
| Mediengruppe: | journal article |
| Herausgeber: | --- |
| Zeitschrift: | Tidsskrift for Samfunnsforskning |
| Jahr: | 2005 |
| Band: | 46 |
| Heft: | 1 |
| Seiten: | 3-34 |
| Sprache: | Norwegisch |
| Abstract: | An ethnographic fieldwork was conducted in a working-class district of Oslo during which several young Muslim men of Pakistani origin were interviewed in depth about clothes, music, body, sexuality, love and marriage. Projecting a hyper-macho image, they seem to "do manhood" in a relatively traditional way. On closer inspection, however, the picture is less straightforward. Their style is influenced by gangsta rap, with expensive clothes, cars and a general macho attitude, but also by House and Techno with their more "unisex" and even feminine style elements. Training regimes are associated with body sculpturing, spinning and yoga, with an emphasis on fitness and aesthetic appearance. With regard to sexuality, attitudes seem to reveal what might pass for an old-fashioned double standard, far from the ideals of gender equality generally shared by the ethnic Norwegian majority. For instance, while wishing to marry a virgin from Pakistan, they are themselves sexually active. However, their sexual experiences were described in a self-critical manner, and they emphasised the importance of "real love". The ethnography shows that respondents are often considered sensitive and attractive by ethnic majority girls. Discussing the findings in light of theories of identity, masculinity and sexuality, the authors argue that the masculinities of these young men are challenging in their complex and ambiguous character and resist easy compartmentalization by schemes of so-called hegemonic masculinity. Borrowing a concept coined by Dick Hebdige, the authors approach these masculinities in terms of sociocultural "noise" and conclude that constructions of masculinity encountered in multiethnic and -cultural contexts will often display elements of competition and fluidity. |