High School Boys' Expressions of Masculinities and Whiteness at a Public Art School

• In Event: Critical Examination of Race, Ethnicity, Class, and Gender in Education: Intersections of Masculinity

Abstract

This project reports findings from book-study group discussions that took place at a public arts school where student and teacher participants discussed the ethnography, Dude, You’re a Fag: Masculinity and Sexuality in High School (Pascoe, 2008). All participants identify as male, cisgender, White and heterosexual. The data reveal that the students in this art-rich context strongly feel the pressures of hegemonic masculinity, while simultaneously being critical of them. The data also reveal that the participants attempt to negotiate White privilege through recognition and asset models. Additionally, within this school setting, which is devoid of traditional sports, markers of masculinity that scholars often associate with sports in school settings shift to other actions and spaces.

Authors

• Joseph D Sweet, University of North Carolina - Pembroke

• Alexander Casady, Flagstaff Arts and Leadership Academy