Moving beyond ideas of laddism: conceptualising ‘mischievous masculinities’ as a new way of understanding everyday sexism and gender relations

Abstract

This article engages with current debates on 'lad cultures' by questioning how we understand the term in the specific context of everyday sexism and within groups of men varying in age. Further to this, using a feminist and critical masculinity studies perspective, the article will explore how men do not necessarily comprehend their behaviour within the framework of lad culture or within the continuum of sexual violence (Jackson, 2006;Wheaton, 2000). Through discussion of ethnographic and interview data collected over a year at a site historically associated with lad cultures, that of a Rugby Union club in Northern England, an alternative way of conceptualising masculinity and everyday sexism, 'mischievous masculinities', is proposed.Men in the research practiced what I term mischievous masculinities, whereby they implemented 'banter' to aid in both the construction and de-construction of sexist ideas within the rugby space. Performing mischievous masculinity enabled men of all ages to both engage in and simultaneously challenge everyday sexism in ways they understood to be 'innocent'. However, the continual framing of banter as 'just a laugh' demonstrated that this form of sexism can be construed as problematic, due, in part, to its subtlety, in relation to more overt and violent sexist practices. A key difference between the men in my research and previous theorising of 'lad culture' is the recurring theme amongst older participants that 'I should know better', demonstrating consciousness of the sexist and problematic connotations which could be drawn from this interaction. This notion of mischievous masculinities then, in the context of a life course perspective, can be seen to challenge more established notions of an unreflexive lad culture, thus affording a more nuanced understanding of everyday sexism amongst more diverse groups of men than currently exists, as well as allowing for men's agency in a specific site.

How do we defeat the ‘dark side’? Analysing a call to tackle lad culture at a UK university

“…The second repertoire actively critiqued the outright condemnation of lad culture, and seeking to distinguish the light from the dark side of lad culture enabled some practices associated with lad culture to be deemed acceptable. This repertoire echoes recent research findings that document ‘friendly’, ‘genial’ and ‘reflexive’ forms of laddism in university and sports contexts (Nichols, 2018, 2020; Jeffries, 2019; Stentiford, 2019). Moreover, in a number of academic publications it has been argued that lad culture should be conceptualised as a continuum of social practices (Warin & Dempster, 2007; Phipps, 2017).…”

Does Humour Influence Perceptions of the Ethicality of Female-Disparaging Advertising?

“…Irony and humour are two common mechanisms used to deflect the responsibility for sexism (Mills 2008). Another factor for choosing Britain is the rise of 'lad' and 'new lad' subcultures of young people since the 1990s (Benwell 2002;Nichols 2018), which are closely related to sexism.…”

‘I found that joking back actually made me not on edge, and I didn’t feel threatened’: Women’s embodied experiences of sexist humour (banter) in a UK gym.

“…Since the construction of such definitions within academia, laddism and lads have arguably evolved into equivalent types of practices and behaviours. These are frequently aligned with men having fun and behaving in ways presumed to align with hegemonic and historical notions of masculinity (Nichols, 2016). The displaying of masculine characteristics such as aggression, strength, wit, physicality and heterosexuality are also included (Carrigan, Connell and Lee, 1985;Connell and Messerchmidt, 2005;Schacht, 1996).…”

“…According to Nichols (2016), lad culture and behaviours that are deemed laddish have become almost synonymous with British culture. They are associated to specific historical sociocultural traditions and divisions in society.…”

“…Women appear to be uncomfortable with the joke culture, and can find it difficult to handle and be part of. Nichols (2016) suggests that sporting sites are the most visible areas where the notion of lads and lad cultures originated. These are where discussions regarding the relationship between everyday sexism and lad culture are continuously growing.…”