Healthy masculinity construction: The influence of race, faith and athletics

Abstract

Due to structural racism, young men living in urban cities-particularly Black and other youth of colour-are at risk for developing hegemonic, toxic masculine identities.However, through a positive youth development approach, sport can be used to promote healthy masculinity. This study explored the importance and meaning of masculinity, as well as influences of masculinity construction among 14 urban male youth who participated in a faith-based sport program. Findings from semi-structured interviews highlight the importance of a masculine identity; depict masculinity through key attributes (leadership, persistence, responsibility, confidence, strength) and underscore the intersectional influence of race, faith, athletics and adult role models.

Policing Gender and Sexuality in High School Sports: The Mediating Impact of Hearing Anti-LGBTQ + Language on High School Athletes’ Self-Esteem Across Gender Identity, Sexual Orientation, and Race

“…Nevertheless, this result of hearing a higher frequency of anti-LGBTQ + language in sport aligns with earlier research on the hyper-surveillance and policing of gender norms, specifically masculinity, in sport (Adams & Govender, 2008; Butler, 1990; Connell, 2008; Kimmel, 2008; Martino, 2000; McCreary, 1994; Metcalfe, 2018; Oransky & Fisher, 2009; Pascoe, 2005; Phoenix et al, 2003; Poteat, 2007; Poteat et al, 2007; Reigeluth & Addis, 2016, 2021; Renold, 2002). Further, this finding may speak to the necessity of promoting critical consciousness and other similar social justice life skills, namely healthy masculinity (Newman et al, 2023) and LGBTQ + allyship (Robinson et al, 2022), as they are both known to promote an inclusive and welcoming environment.…”

“…As the self-esteem of cis white boys may be most impacted by anti-LGBTQ + language, the concept of POM as a factor in this relationship requires further investigation. In addition, toxic masculinity may be a related concept under the larger construct of hegemonic masculinity that may capture the way these norms are reinforced in educational sport settings (Newman et al, 2023). Future studies also can investigate if stigma competence may explain differential impacts of hearing anti-LGBTQ + language in sport among students of differing and intersectional identities.…”

“…Coaches and other youth sport leaders (e.g., physical education teachers) should adopt and enforce school policies and practices that support competition and affirmation and inclusion of all identities (Holt et al, 2017). As the use of anti-LGBTQ + language also impacts the self-esteem of all athletes, school mental health professionals and sport social workers also can be attuned to hegemonic masculinity and how it may be a factor in the mental and emotional well-being and performance of athletes today (Newman et al, 2022a). Coaches, teachers, and students also can benefit from training on the impact of anti-LGBTQ + language on all athletes.…”

Bodies, bruises, and blisters, and the struggle for/of the feminine/muscular body: the ways in which women CrossFitters transgress gendered boundaries

“…Even though the participants in our study embraced a muscular body ideal, demonstrated strength, power, and confidence (i.e., disrupting certain gender stereotypes) (Podmore & Ogle, 2018), they also reproduced gendered norms by wearing minimal clothing both inside and outside of CrossFit. Although Cindy and the other women in the study claimed to be proud of and confident of their muscular bodies, confidence is typically construed as a masculine trait (Newman et al, 2023), and demonstrates a complex and paradoxical mix of masculinity/femininity and non-gendered subjectivity in CrossFit women’s body-sexuality expression (Howarth, 2013). Cindy’s confident display of her masculine/feminine body reportedly yielded comments from others about ‘showing off’, whereas Amanda worries about whether her partner will continue to find her sexually attractive and desirable with large ‘masculine’ trapezoid muscles.…”

Giants in the Frame: A 1964 Photo Analysis of How Malcolm X and Dr. Harry Edwards Connected Race, Religion, and Sport

“…This content helped ignite the role of a spiritual advisor to model emotional management (Givens et al 2016), which is certainly what Smith and Carlos needed in the aftermath of 1968. Budding research continues to highlight how Black male youth construct healthy masculinity within the context of a faith-based positive youth development sport program (Newman et al 2022). Community-based youth organizations should continue to provide agency to reimagine Black identities as progressive beyond pervasive biases and binaries, as Black students in high school develop strong proactive racial identities that symbiotically feed into academic success (Carter 2010).…”