The politics of gendered emotions: disrupting men's emotional investment in privilege

Abstract

This paper explores the implications of the neglect of emotions in critical masculinity studies and profeminist masculinity politics. This neglect in part results from feminist and profeminist critiques of the literature on emotional inexpressiveness as a tragedy for men that ignores male privilege and men's social power. To focus on men's emotions is seen by some profeminist commentators as psychologising men at the expense of sociological understandings of men's social power. However, in neglecting the place of emotions in men's lives, critical masculinity studies has overlooked the ways in which men's emotional attachment to privilege can perpetuate oppressive gender relations and male violence against women. By exploring men's emotional investment in unequal gender relations, the article outlines ways in which emotions can also be used as a catalyst to disrupt men's attachment to male privilege.

Male emotionality: ‘boys don’t cry’ versus ‘it’s good to talk’

“…In competitive, hierarchical societies, especially those that are classically patriarchal, this means signifying a capacity to exert control over one's self, the environment and others (Craib, 1994). There is also a body of more recent scholarship on masculinity and emotion which questions the premise that men are less emotional (de Boise, 2015;de Boise and Hearn, 2017;Galasinski, 2004;Holmes, 2015;Pease, 2012). De Boise and Hearn (2017) suggest this work can be categorised into three themes, softening masculinity, hybridization and constructionist, stating that this body of work needs to proceed from a clear understanding of emotions themselves, and to maintain a focus on gender inequalities.…”

“…De Boise and Hearn (2017) suggest this work can be categorised into three themes, softening masculinity, hybridization and constructionist, stating that this body of work needs to proceed from a clear understanding of emotions themselves, and to maintain a focus on gender inequalities. The connection between male emotionality and power has been discussed by many scholars who highlight the ways hierarchy is linked with emotion (Bourdieu, 2001;Burkitt, 1997;Craib, 1994;Duncombe and Marsden, 1995;Galasinski, 2004;Hearn 1993;Pease, 2012;Seidler, 1997). It is important therefore to maintain a focus on 'how men's emotions are shaped by and help to reproduce structural inequalities' to maintain a critical perspective of masculinities (de Boise and Hearn, 2017, p.5).…”

“…While the nature of this disclosing varies by gender, class and age across cultures, it is directly related to vulnerability for many men (Criab, 1994, Seidler, 1997. Vulnerability is in turn correlated with a need for emotional control and therefore male power, the patriarchal dividend (Connell, 1995) and structural gendered inequalities (Bourdieu, 2001;Burkitt, 1997;Craib, 1994;Duncombe and Marsden, 1993;Pease, 2012;Seidler, 1997). This paper is focused on how men experience emotional disclosure and how in turn this relates to gendered power in intimate relationships.…”

Gendered views on parole: exploring how emotion and emotion management help to explain gender differences in the Australian public’s views on parole

“…As Simon and Nath (2004) explain, this perspective considers emotions to involve "complex combinations of physiological sensations, cognitive appraisals of situations, cultural labels, and free or inhibited affective displays" (p. 1138). Like Hochschild, I reject the solely biological view of emotion that ignores the cultural and social context in which emotions are created and situated and instead adopt a social constructionist approach (Pease, 2012). Put simply, I view emotions as physiological, but also culturally and context dependent (Barbalet, 2006;Galasiński, 2004).…”

Of Vice and Men: An Ethnographic Content Analysis of the Manosphere

“…Within popular discourse, there is a leitmotif that men are stoic and, if they show emotions, these are limited to emotions that can stoke aggression and, perhaps, love of family. The refrain of the emotionless male continues from popular discourse to academic scholarship as well (Connell 2000;Pease 2012;Petersen 1998). Perhaps this is most evident when Brannon (1976), attempting to capture dimensions of masculine roles, included stoicism as a central component to "The Sturdy Oak" category.…”