Performing Patriotic Masculinity: The Role of Violent Threats in Asserting Ideological Authority and Exclusionary National Identities

• In Event: Examining Forms of Ideologically-Motivated Violence in America

Abstract

Research on political violence demonstrates how certain aspects of masculinity are linked to asserting ideological authority and reinforcing exclusionary social identities through physical aggression, such as assaults, homicides, and gender-based violence. However, little research focuses on how violent threats function as masculinity performances that achieve these same ends. To address this gap, we analyze in-depth interviews with 15 officials who experienced violent threats, examining how perpetrators assert dominance, secure control, and establish ideological authority through masculinity discourse. Our findings reveal a distinct form of masculinity— “patriotic masculinity”—in which actors invoke national defense symbols, such as the U.S. Constitution, and deploy phrases like “We the People” to position themselves as enforcers of an exclusionary national identity. By framing their aggression as patriotic duty, these actors merge nationalism with hegemonic masculine ideals by relying on masculinity discourse to regulate civic participation and reinforce existing power hierarchies. This study contributes to individual-level masculinities research, adding to scant literature on language used to perform masculinity through physical and virtual interactions, especially when physical displays are unavailable. This study also expands the notion of hegemonic masculinity by demonstrating how nationalism, specifically westernized culture, may be viewed as a more global hegemonic masculine ideal.

Authors

• Alma June Harrison, University of Arkansas

• Steven Windisch, University of Arkansas

• Kayla Allison, University of Arkansas

• Maria Scaptura, University of Arkansas