Hegemoninis vyriškumas Lietuvos kariuomenėje /

The Lithuanian Armed Forces is one of the essential state institutions responsible for ensuring national security. Since the Russian aggression against Ukraine in 2014, Lithuania has been actively discussing ways to strengthen the military. Although there is increasing talk of universal conscription, there is controversy about women in the military. Statistics show that in 2019, women comprised only 12.1 per cent of Lithuania's professional military service personnel, and only six women achieved the rank of lieutenant colonel. This indicates male dominance in the military. Historically, the armed forces remain a significant source of gender inequality worldwide. Sociologist Raewyn Connell examined how certain norms of masculinity can become dominant in society and how they affect both men and women. Hegemonic masculinity is described as a specific form of masculinity that, in a particular historical and societal context, legitimizes unequal gender relations between masculinity and femininity, and among different forms of masculinity. Masculinity constructs the idea of men who protect and women who need protection, thereby justifying gender inequality and institutional hierarchy. The topic of hegemonic masculinity in Lithuania is narrowly researched, and there is no research on hegemonic masculinity in the Lithuanian military. Based on R. Connell's theory, this study analyses how hegemonic masculinity affects gender relations and gender inequality. The goal is to explore the influence of hegemonic masculinity based on the results of 12 interviews with five women and seven men. The study found that hegemonic masculinity exists in the Lithuanian military and negatively impacts gender relations. In the military culture, traits associated with masculinity, such as physical strength, emotional suppression, firmness, and rationality, are prioritized. In contrast, traits associated with femininity, such as tenderness, emotionality, vulnerability, and nurturing, are devalued. Gender inequality in the Lithuanian military affects job distribution, task performance, and hierarchical position in the military. Although women's opportunities for military service are not legally restricted, in practice, women face double standards, bias, devaluation, and excessive protection. Male soldiers occupy the highest positions in the Lithuanian military, benefiting from patriarchal dividends. Sections where work is oriented towards specific knowledge and less physical fitness sceptically viewed the absence of critical thinking in units focused on physical strength. Embodiment, the perception of a soldier's body and its functioning is essential to this study. All informants spoke about the importance of physical fitness and endurance. Women who join the military must adapt to the idealized male body to be considered equal to their male colleagues and leaders. Female soldiers must conform to the military's slogan "There are no women in the military." The study also observed the relationship between hegemonic and other non-hegemonic forms of masculinity. A negative attitude towards homosexual men among heterosexual men was noted. Furthermore, the bias against homosexual men is more pronounced than against homosexual women. Male homosexuality is perceived as adopting feminine traits, while female homosexuality is associated with adopting masculine traits. The main argument of this study is that hegemonic masculinity maintains gender inequality in the Lithuanian military and contributes to the reinforcement of male norms.

Grantor dc:publisher

Institutional Repository of Vilnius University

Year dc:date

2024

Author dc:creator

• Sazonaitė, Izabelė,

Statement dc:rights

• info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess

Language dc:language

lit

Repository record dc:identifier

https://repository.vu.lt/VU:ELABAETD210584344&prefLang=en_US

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vu.lt:elaba:210584344