The consumption of hegemonic masculinity: understanding gender patterns through computer-mediated communication

Borkowska, Katarzyna (2013) The consumption of hegemonic masculinity: understanding gender patterns through computer-mediated communication. PhD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

This project focused upon exploring elements of hegemonic masculinity which participants have consumed (or otherwise) in a context of Facebook profiles in order to create their social self-expression. At the same time this study recognised the consumption of ideological aspects that underpin participants’ personal understandings of manhood.
The first phase of the research focused upon content analysis of eighty-nine Facebook profiles (Chapters 7-9). The aim was to capture masculine traits that participants symbolically consume and conceptualise in their social environment on a daily bases. The second phase of the research used an analysis of thirty-one open-ended questionnaires (Chapter 10). It explored the consumption of personal experiences of being a man which were also compared with participants’ social self-presentation. Both parts of the research aimed to obtain a complex view on contemporary masculinities in order to understand why some aspects of hegemonic masculinity are consumed and valued on a daily bases while others are discarded by participants.
In short, gender identity was a main focus of this research. Masculine identities were shown to be underpinned by social, cultural and media messages as well as individual reflexivity. This thesis argues that looking at the concept of masculinity through the new lens of symbolic consumption allows both the identification of people’s self-expression in a social context and the hearing of individual voices and the experiences of men. This approach captures the multiplicity of masculinities and contributes to challenging the hegemonic facets of gender.

• Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
• Qualification Level: Doctoral
• Keywords: masculinity, online research
• Subjects: H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
• Colleges/Schools: College of Social Sciences > School of Education
• Supervisor's Name: Head, Dr. George and Wardle , Dr. Georgina
• Date of Award: 2013
• Depositing User: Dr Katarzyna Borkowska
• Unique ID: glathesis:2013-4661
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 08 Nov 2013 11:06
• Last Modified: 31 Jan 2014 13:17
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/4661