“Die manskap”: How gender, class and race inform understandings of violence among young ‘coloured men’ in contemporary South Africa

Background: Over the last 30 years, since the publication of FW Connell's seminal work in 1985 research into ‘men’ and the social construction of masculinities has grown exponentially. Today the literature exploring masculinities is vast and this review covers key texts beginning with international research that highlights the theoretical shifts in understanding of masculinity. I then move on to consider writings about the construction of masculinities within the African context and end by considering research in South Africa with a focus in Cape Town on the Cape Flats area. As noted above, perhaps the earliest work that examined the social construction of masculine behaviours and manhood was that of Raewynn Connell back in the 1980s. Connell developed the concept of hegemonic masculinity in 1982, a concept that continues to underpin much contemporary theorizing about masculinity (Morrell, 1994; Lorber, 1994; Connell, 2005; Wedgwood, 2009). Connell’s research deconstructed the biological association of male behaviour as natural to highlight how masculinity is learnt. Connell (1982) noted that what was considered ‘natural’ male behaviour in 1982 was associated with ‘white’, (cis)heterosexual, able-bodied and middle-upper class Australian ‘men’ while other masculine behaviour(s) were (and continue to be) measured against this ‘norm’.

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

University of the Western Cape

Year dc:date.issued

2024

Author dc:creator

• Abrahams, Aneeqa

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Clowes, Lindsay

• Class identity
• Violence
• Cape Flats
• Gender identity
• Racial identity

Licence

• https://uwcscholar.uwc.ac.za/bitstreams/f823f538-9afb-428a-927f-634b2e0960c5/download