New masculinities: what are they and what is proposed in them

Among the contributions and controversies that have emerged from feminist approaches, especially from feminism that advocates the diversity of identities, a line of research has emerged and action that is beginning to be known as “New Masculinities”.

This line has made it possible to reconsider different practices related to gender and to understand more specifically the masculine subjectivities that have been consolidated as hegemonic and sometimes violent. In this way and in some spaces, it has been possible to act politically and therapeutically to counteract this.

Although it is something that is in development, we can outline here some background and proposals that have emerged, as well as important fields of action.

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The New Masculinities: response to a crisis

Gender approaches cause discomfort. They make us uncomfortable because they question our places in the world, they force us to rearrange subjective positions, that is, identities and relationships between them. In this sense, they are discomforts that generate "productive discomfort" (Sánchez, 2017).

If we analyze the social transformations of recent years, and especially we look at the violent practices with which many men have tried to reaffirm their own virility; we can notice that masculinity is in a crisis.

Crisis that becomes especially visible in violence against women, but that is also related to different gender discomforts experienced by men themselves. Gender approaches have made it possible to pay attention to this. They make it possible to understand some specific issues about relationships, subjectivities and discomforts that have been built through the gender binary.

Until recently, the focus of attention on gender perspectives had been focused solely on women and in femininity. Masculinity and its values ​​had remained untouchable. It then became necessary to create models that offered new places and roles (more equitable and free from violence) that did not only focus on the experience of women.

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An alternative to hegemonic masculinity?

The New Masculinities emerge as an alternative to hegemonic masculinity. The term “hegemonic masculinity” refers to dominant masculinity behaviors, which includes the most traditional models of gender domination; based, for example, on mandates such as "men don't cry", "they are always brave", "not at all feminine", "unquestionably heterosexual", etc.

In other words, it is about the values, beliefs, attitudes, myths, stereotypes or behaviors that legitimize men's power and authority over women (and over everyone else who isn't men) heterosexual).

Hegemonic masculinity is what has given rise to a whole form of political and social organization based on the idea of ​​male leadership and the predominance of this worldview over other forms of life.

However, this hegemony can also be reproduced in models that are presented as alternative and new (and not only in traditional masculinity), which is why the very concept of New Masculinities is reviewed constantly. Thus, one of the bases for the rethinking of masculinity is its self-reflective and critical capacity towards the different models, values, practices and experiences of masculinity.

In short, they are known as New Masculinities because they try to consolidate alternative experiences and practices to hegemonic masculinity.

Political and therapeutic action focused on the male experience

It is quite common for men to take on the task of teaching women what to do to stop being violated. But this often happens from the prohibition, and from the convenience of the man himself (do not wear such clothes, do not go out alone, do not speak in such a way, etc.).

Given this, in one way or another, many women have explained that the way to show solidarity with feminist struggles, and against gender violence, is not that way; among other things because the recommendations are made from experiences completely unrelated to gender violence, which in the end reproduce the same domination.

This has not only been expressed by women, but many men have responded by creating paths based on their own experience, which translate into political and therapeutic actions.

Rethink gender models

In general terms, the aim is to generate collective rethinking of gender (specifically around masculinity) as an action policy to address some phenomena related to gender violence and discomfort, from the masculine experience of men.

In other words, it is about “deconstructing” hegemonic masculinity. In other words, to raise awareness of the historical and structural conditions that have generated inequalities and gender violence, and to individually take charge of what corresponds.

For example, assume when they have been participants in said violence and collectively search for some strategies to avoid them. Or, sharing one's own vulnerability by making gender experiences and discomforts explicit; and from there, articulate them with the experiences and discomforts of the other gender and non-hegemonic sexualities.

New Masculinities or Hybrid Masculinities?

The concept of New Masculinities has generated many debates. For example, Jokin Azpiazu, pioneer in rethinking the masculine gender, suggests that the idea of ​​New Masculinities is best understood through the concept of “hybrid masculinities”, initially proposed by sociologist C.J. Pascoe.

This last term refers to the fact that masculinities themselves should not be presented as new, but rather that the effort should be towards incorporating non-hegemonic elements that generate new models and relations.

Otherwise, there is a risk of adapting the same hegemonic masculinity to the new needs posed by gender approaches, which ultimately generates new forms of domination. That is to say, apparently innocuous practices but that finally reproduce the same structures of inequality.

In the same sense, the author reflects on whether it is necessary to claim a different masculinity, or if it is rather a question of problematizing masculinity as a whole.

Bibliographic references:

• Men and New Masculinities Collective (2018). Us. Get to know our actions and philosophy. Retrieved May 8, 2018. Available in http://colectivohombresymasculinidades.com.
• Sanchez, J. (2017). Masculinity and feminism: a space of "productive discomfort". Retrieved May 8, 2018. Available in http://www.pikaramagazine.com/2017/06/masculinidades-y-feminismo-un-espacio-de-incomodidad-productiva/.
• Bergara, A., Riviere, J. and Bacete, R. (2008). Men, equality and the new masculinities. Emakunde Basque Institute for Women: Vitoria.
• Segarra, M. and Carabí (Eds). (2000). New masculinities. Icara: Barcelona.