"Respecting One Another Does Not Work Here": Migrant Men Constructing Masculinities in an Informal Urban Settlement in South Africa

The discourse on masculinities mainly focuses on men's power over women and more emphasis should be geared towards understanding how the dynamics are changing, especially in the context of high levels of poverty. This study relied on qualitative interviews to examine dominant notions of masculi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inSouth African review of sociology Vol. 53; no. 4; pp. 409 - 427
Main Authors Khumalo, Thobani, Maharaj, Pranitha, Dunn, Shanaaz
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Abingdon Routledge 02.10.2023
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Subjects
Africa; identity; migration; violence
Interdisciplinary aspects
Interviews
Masculinity
Men
men; masculinity
Migrants
Poverty
Power
South Africa; urban informal settlements
Urban areas
Violence
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Summary:The discourse on masculinities mainly focuses on men's power over women and more emphasis should be geared towards understanding how the dynamics are changing, especially in the context of high levels of poverty. This study relied on qualitative interviews to examine dominant notions of masculinity among a sample of young migrant men residing in an informal urban settlement in Durban, South Africa. The interviews suggest that men face a multitude of challenges. In the informal settlement, toxic notions of masculinity are adopted by men that are demonstrated by their use of violence, denoting their power and authority. This study highlights the importance of incorporating men into multidisciplinary research in an effort to understand and combat widespread acts of violence inflicted by men.
ISSN:2152-8586
2072-1978
DOI:10.1080/21528586.2023.2300450