I Am a Bull! The Construction of Masculinity in a Group of Men Perpetrators of Violence against Women in Spain (original) (raw)
Related papers
Universitas Psychologica, 2016
The relationship between violence and masculinity warrants special attention in intervention work with men who inflict violence against their partners. In this article we sought to explore this connection drawing upon the metaphor of 'being like a bull' used by a member of a group of men held in Spain. We reflected on the patriarchal system that legitimises the constant proof expected of the 'bull', of its masculinity in an 'arena' made up of an audience of spectators who reflect the traditional male image. In conclusion, we highlighted the importance of psychosocial interventions in this sector with a more committed political/policy and gender perspective, focusing on cultural and macro-social aspects in interventions with those who inflict violence.
MEN, MASCULINITIES AND PHYSICAL VIOLENCE IN CONTEMPORARY EUROPE
The aim of the paper is to present and analyse the intersection between men, masculinities and physical violence in the comparative, European dimension as this issue is still too rarely raised in the existing literature dealing with issues on both violence, and men and masculinities. The presented findings result to a large extent from research conducted by an international team of researchers within the PROGRESS The Role of Men in Gender Equality project (2011-2012). The paper presents analysis regarding connections between perpetration of violence and the character of traditional, hegemonic masculinity; data on the scale and types of violence perpetrated and experienced by men from different European countries; analysis of the position of men as a victims of (physical) violence; and a presentation of the forms of men's (social) activism against (male) violence.
The New Alternative Masculinities and the Overcoming of Gender Violence
International Multidisciplinary Journal of Social Sciences, 2013
Research about masculinities gathers different topics from diverse disciplinary perspectives. One of the topics has been the analysis of the effect of the perpetuation of the traditional heterosexual model of masculinity upon gender violence. Recent scientific evidence about the reproduction of this social problem has shown the existence of three different types of masculinities (in the sense of the weberian ideal types): Dominant Traditional Masculinities (DTM), Oppressed Traditional Masculinities (OTM), and New Alternative Masculinities (NAM). The first two types contribute to perpetuate violence against women, while the latter allows preventing it and, consequently, leads to its overcoming. This article approaches the existence of these three types of masculinities and analyses both their characteristics and the consequences they have for the prevention of violence against women. It presents evidence about the link between language of ethics and language of desire that is found in NAM and which is the key element that explains its preventive effect regarding violence against women.
Stories of Masculinity and Violence of Male Homicide Perpetrators in Argentina
Gender-Based Violence in the Global South, 2024
The connection between homicide, meanings of violence, and biographies of perpetrators have been central in the development of a wide range of sociological, anthropological and criminological theories (Collins 2009; R. P. Dobash and Dobash 2020; Riches 1986). Central topics in understanding how violent deaths, narratives and social structures are intertwined include the way perpetrators understand violent acts, the way perpetrators experience violent acts, and their lives prior to the violent events. This chapter focuses on the life stories of men who have intentionally killed other men in the context of fights or quarrels in Buenos Aires, Argentina. A series of guiding questions structure this chapter: how is violence and more specifically lethal violence seen and accounted for by these men? What biographical indexes are presented by them? How are these events related to their lived experiences, self-presentations, and notions of violence? In the context of a broader socio-anthropological project on homicide, the objective of this chapter is to analyse, from a hermeneutic biographical approach, the violence legitimisation processes of men who have committed homicide of other men in the context of a fight or quarrel (homicidio en el context de una riña) in Buenos Aires. In the Argentinian context, the crime of killing is categorised into two broad categories by the Penal Code (Law 11.179)1: intentional homicide (homicidio doloso) and unintentional homicide (homicidio culposo). These two legal concepts are structured according to the intentionality and willingness of the perpetrators. This chapter focuses on the first specific form of killing that occurs in the context of a fight or quarrel among men. The choice to focus on this type of homicide derives from an analytical interest in exploring situations where violence was performed as a means of dealing with interpersonal conflicts (excluding, for instance, homicides occurring during robberies). This specific performance of violence is key to understanding the generalised pattern of physical abuse between men. This chapter is divided into six parts. The following section briefly reviews literature focused on homicide perpetrators and illustrates a gap in the understanding of life stories from the men’s own perspectives. The third section describes the methodology employed to reconstruct life stories of men who committed intentional homicide and highlights the hermeneutic and narrative perspective to construct the data. In the fourth section, the life stories of two cases (Juan and Martín) are presented to illustrate how violence is conceived and normalised as a legitimate interactional resource. In the fifth section, the life stories of these two cases are analysed in the context of the broader sample of this study to indicate the underlying moral patterns found. Specifically, they are analysed with regard to masculine norms and contact with public institutions. In the last section, the conclusions are presented related to three aspects: their notions of violence, the link between violence and masculine achievement, and the meanings conveyed to institutions regarding problem resolution and intervention. Recommendations for violence prevention strategies are given based on this research, the connection between the biographical understanding of homicide perpetration and the Sustainable Development Goals are emphasised and methodological limitations of this study are mentioned.
Masculinity and the social violence against women
Ars Educandi
Men’s violence against women and persons of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) identity is a phenomenon that is rarely discussed in the mainstream media except in its Most horrendous and sensational forms. Even rarer is a discussion of a culture of mascul- inity in U.S. society for example that condones and in large part perpetuates men’s violence against women and LGBT persons. In the media, men’s violence is invisible or assumed as “natural” and thus inevitable. While the media’s debate on masculinities and violence has been relatively silent or superficial, the scholarly debate on men’s violence is vibrant, and a growing men’s movement is challenging misogynistic discourses and violent aspects of masculine cultures.
(Re)Gendering violence: Men, masculinities and violence.
G. Mason, S. Milivojevic & M. Lee (Eds) The Australian and New Zealand Critical Criminology Conference Proceedings 2010., 2011
This paper focuses on constructions of violence, in particular the ways in which violence is constructed as a social problem in and through policy discourses. Inspired by an earlier study into the ways in which practitioners, engaged in work with men who are violent towards their female partners, construct and understand violence, this paper highlights the extent to which societal/cultural beliefs regarding gender and violence are embedded at the levels of policy, ‘expert’ knowledge(s), and practices. Illustrating the exercise of (gendered) power through knowledge in shaping Australian government/agency responses and initiatives, it is argued that this has critical implications for the ways in which ‘gender(ed) violence’ is conceptualised, named and addressed.