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Cited by 9,367Gender Roles and Identity StudiesGender and Feminist StudiesGender, Sexuality, and Education

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 131 of the 133 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Hegemonic Masculinity: Rethinking the Concept

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Connell, R. W., Messerschmidt, James W.·2005·Gender & Society
DOI 10.1177/0891243205278639
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Abstract

The concept of hegemonic masculinity has influenced gender studies across many academic fields but has also attracted serious criticism. The authors trace the origin of the concept in a convergence of ideas in the early 1980s and map the ways it was applied when research on men and masculinities expanded. Evaluating the principal criticisms, the authors defend the underlying concept of masculinity, which in most research use is neither reified nor essentialist. However, the criticism of trait models of gender and rigid typologies is sound. The treatment of the subject in research on hegemonic masculinity can be improved with the aid of recent psychological models, although limits to discursive flexibility must be recognized. The concept of hegemonic masculinity does not equate to a model of social reproduction; we need to recognize social struggles in which subordinated masculinities influence dominant forms. Finally, the authors review what has been confirmed from early formulations (the idea of multiple masculinities, the concept of hegemony, and the emphasis on change) and what needs to be discarded (onedimensional treatment of hierarchy and trait conceptions of gender). The authors suggest reformulation of the concept in four areas: a more complex model of gender hierarchy, emphasizing the agency of women; explicit recognition of the geography of masculinities, emphasizing the interplay among local, regional, and global levels; a more specific treatment of embodiment in contexts of privilege and power; and a stronger emphasis on the dynamics of hegemonic masculinity, recognizing internal contradictions and the possibilities of movement toward gender democracy.

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Citations

Cites

Research works printed but not linked: 33

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Metadata

Authors
Connell, R. W., & Messerschmidt, J. W.
Affiliations
  • The University of Sydney (AU)
  • University of Southern Maine (US)
ORCID
Venue
Gender & Society
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Published
2005-12
Volume
19
Issue
6
Pages
829-859
ISSN
  • 0891-2432 (ISSN-L)
  • 1552-3977
DOI
10.1177/0891243205278639
OpenAlex
W2129749811
Semantic Scholar
0f219ecc8bf348a2e16360666dfdeea21420231e
Cited by
9,367
References
133
Citations by year
2026: 830 · 2025: 781 · 2024: 605 · 2023: 658 · 2022: 639 · 2021: 658 · 2020: 646 · 2019: 620 · 2018: 561 · 2017: 548 · 2016: 467 · 2015: 482 · 2014: 436 · 2013: 385 · 2012: 289
FWCI
150.13
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Gender & Society (publishedVersion)
  • Intellectum (Universidad de La Sabana) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Gender Roles and Identity Studies
  • Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Gender and Feminist Studies
  • Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Gender, Sexuality, and Education
Keywords
hegemonic masculinity, masculinity, gender hierarchy, subordinated masculinities, multiple masculinities, hegemony, social reproduction, gender democracy, embodiment, women's agency, social change

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