Abstract
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 71-97 |
| Number of pages | 27 |
| Journal | Men and Masculinities |
| Volume | 20 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Early online date | Nov 2015 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Apr 2017 |
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Unveiling the male corset : Goth masculine gender performance in rural Australia. / Ragusa, Angela; Ward, Olivia.
In: Men and Masculinities, Vol. 20, No. 1, 04.2017, p. 71-97.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
TY - JOUR
T1 - Unveiling the male corset
T2 - Goth masculine gender performance in rural Australia
AU - Ragusa, Angela
AU - Ward, Olivia
N1 - Includes bibliographical references.
PY - 2017/4
Y1 - 2017/4
N2 - Contemporary sociological research indicates rural men face increasing pressure to comply with hegemonic masculine gender norms. Adopting Butler's poststructural theory of gender performativity, this study presents findings from qualitative interviews with twenty-five self-identified male Goths living in rural Australia, revealing how participants enacted masculinity and how rurality shaped gender performance. Despite participants' believing their Goth identity transcended geographic location, Goth self expression of counter normative masculinity was met with societal pressure. Rural Australian communities were presented as strongly upholding normative, traditional gender expectations as most participants experienced adverse responses, namely,homophobic hostility, employment discrimination, bullying, and/or physical assault,which necessitated modification of gender performance for individual safety and well being. Participants largely attributed negative reactions to rural communities' ''closed mindedness'' in contrast with the ''open-mindedness'' they experienced in urban communities. Overall, participants believed urban communities in Australia and beyond displayed greater acceptance of diverse gender performances than rural Australia.
AB - Contemporary sociological research indicates rural men face increasing pressure to comply with hegemonic masculine gender norms. Adopting Butler's poststructural theory of gender performativity, this study presents findings from qualitative interviews with twenty-five self-identified male Goths living in rural Australia, revealing how participants enacted masculinity and how rurality shaped gender performance. Despite participants' believing their Goth identity transcended geographic location, Goth self expression of counter normative masculinity was met with societal pressure. Rural Australian communities were presented as strongly upholding normative, traditional gender expectations as most participants experienced adverse responses, namely,homophobic hostility, employment discrimination, bullying, and/or physical assault,which necessitated modification of gender performance for individual safety and well being. Participants largely attributed negative reactions to rural communities' ''closed mindedness'' in contrast with the ''open-mindedness'' they experienced in urban communities. Overall, participants believed urban communities in Australia and beyond displayed greater acceptance of diverse gender performances than rural Australia.
KW - Gender performativity
KW - Subculture
KW - Goth
KW - Deviance
KW - Rural masculinity
U2 - 10.1177/1097184X15613830
DO - 10.1177/1097184X15613830
M3 - Article
VL - 20
SP - 71
EP - 97
JO - Men and Masculinities
JF - Men and Masculinities
SN - 1097-184X
IS - 1
ER -