“With an M I am very man”: masculinities, challenges and modern transformations

Abstract

Femininity(ies) and masculinity(ies) are not innate characteristics of women and men per se, but rather constructions that are temporally, socially and spatially localized, permeated by power relations. Since reality itself is mutable, the reconfiguration of socially established perceptions of what it means to be a woman versus what it means to be a man is an expected process. However, this process is not linear, since these transformations are often slow. As such, resorting to a theoretical overview of studies about masculinities and their connection to the field of gender and qualitative data gathered through an online survey, significant, albeit insufficient, transformations are observed in what is currently understood as the role of the male, revealing new angles of problematization and enabling broader and more effective approaches to promote equality and social transformation.