"Masculinity in Crisis": A Case Study of the Discourses of Hegemonic Masculinities

• In Event: Counterhegemonic Pedagogy: Centering Youth Voices and Building Alliances for Well-Being

Abstract

This case study explores two examples of discursive constructions of "masculinity in crisis" in China and South Korea, focusing on people’s perceptions and reactions to the effeminate male appearance, as well as its relation to gender performativity. In this study, we find that the construction of hegemonic masculinity in today’s society, at least in China and Korea, has become more complicated. The analysis on masculinity in non-Western contexts sheds light on variations of hegemonic masculinity and their diverse dimensions as local and global forces intersect and interact. This comparative case analysis based on the two countries in East Asia advances culturally respectful comparative research which is not evaluative to one another but, rather, collaborative to challenge and develop existing research.

Authors

• Younkyung Hong, Ball State University

• Weijian Wang, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities