Keith Pringle

Hegemonic Masculinity and Beyond 40 Years of Research in Sweden

This article discusses the status of the concept of hegemonic masculinity in research on men and boys in Sweden, and how it has been used and developed. Sweden has a relatively long history of public debate, research, and policy intervention in gender issues and gender equality. This has meant, in sheer quantitative terms, a relatively sizeable corpus of work on men, masculinities, and gender relations. There is also a rather wide diversity of approaches, theoretically and empirically, to the analysis of men and masculinities. The Swedish national context and gender equality project is outlined. This is followed by discussion of three broad phases in studies on men and masculinities in Sweden: the 1960s and 1970s before the formulation of the concept of hegemonic masculinity; the 1980s and 1990s when the concept was important for a generation of researchers developing studies in more depth; and the 2000s with a younger generation committed to a variety of feminist and gender critiques other than those associated with hegemonic masculinity. The following sections focus specifically on how the concept of hegemonic masculinity has been used, adapted, and indeed not used, in particular areas of study: boys and young men in family and education; violence; and health. The article concludes with review of how hegemonic masculinity has been used in Swedish contexts, as: gender stereotype, often out of the context of legitimation of patriarchal relations; “Other” than dominant, white middle-class “Swedish,” equated with outmoded, nonmodern, working-class, failing boy, or minority ethnic masculinities; a new masculinity concept and practice, incorporating some degree of gender equality; and reconceptualized and problematized as a modern, heteronormative, and subject-centered concept.

Critical Studies on Men in Ten European Countries (1): the state of academic research

This article is on the work of the European Research Network on Men in Europe project, “The Social Problem and Societal Problematization of Men and Masculinities” (2000-2003), funded by the European Commission. The Network comprises women and men researchers with a range of disciplinary backgrounds from Estonia, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Norway, Poland, the Russian Federation, and the United Kingdom. The Networks initial focus is on mens relations to home and work, social exclusion, violence, and health. Some of the findings on the Networks fourth phase of work, namely the review of newspaper and media representations of mens practices in the ten countries, are presented. This is the last of four articles reviewing critical studies on men in the ten countries through different methods and approaches.

Men, masculinities and children: some European perspectives

Gender matters in child welfare partly by virtue of the relationship of men, masculinities and men’s practices to children, young people and childcare. This problematic is considered within a European context. The article sets out some of the major ways in which men relate, or do not relate, to children and young people. These include men’s care of, violence to and abuse of children and young people. Drawing on work with the EU Research Network, ‘The Social Problem of Men’, we locate men’s relation to children in the context of men’s gendered position within different European societies and ‘welfare states’. The final part of this article discusses more research and policy on men, children and childcare. These include somewhat contradictory findings on parental leave, violence and abuse, and professional interventions in Nordic, supposedly ‘women-friendly’ ‘welfare societies’.

Swedish welfare responses to ethnicity: the case of children and their families

This article focuses on issues of racism and ethnic discrimination in the operation of the Swedish child welfare system and the broader societal context. It draws primarily upon a qualitative study which explored discourses about ethnicity, gender and age within the Swedish child welfare system but also uses some data from several recent transnational European studies. It suggests that the Swedish welfare system may be far less benign in challenging racism and ethnic discrimination than it is when assessed along more ‘mainstream’ comparative measures associated with poverty alleviation or issues of work in the labour market and home. The article notes that very similar findings occur when gendered violence to women and children is placed in focus rather than ethnicity. Finally some tentative possible explanations for these welfare patterns are suggested as the basis for future research and elaboration.

Critical studies on men in ten European countries: (3) The state of law and policy

This article is on the work of The European Research Network on Men in Europe project “The Social Problem and Societal Problematization of Men and Masculinities” (2000-2003), funded by the European Commission. The Network comprises women and men researchers with a range of disciplinary backgrounds from Estonia, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Norway, Poland, the Russian Federation, and the United Kingdom. The Networks initial focus is on mens relations to home and work, social exclusion, violences, and health. Some of findings on the Networks second phase of work, namely the review of statistical sources on mens practices in the ten countries, are presented. This is the third of four articles reviewing critical studies on men in the ten countries through different methods and approaches.

Child sexual abuse perpetrated by welfare personnel and the problem of men

The paper surveys the quantitative evidence relating to sexual abuse committed by welfare personnel in a variety of settings. From this, it is concluded that other welfare settings are just as sexually unsafe for child ren as resident care .Moreover, mainstream responses designed to reduce sexual abuse in welfare agencies are seen to be ineffective largely because they ignore the crucial role of gender in the genesisofmost of that abuse. The second half of the paper adopts a more qualitative approcach to consider the implications of this analysis for male workers in the caring services . It is suggested that it may be necessary to radically delimit the role of males if the levels of sexual abuse in this sphere are to be signifi cantly reduced.

Critical Studies on Men in Ten European Countries (4) Newspaper and Media Representations

This article is on the work of the European Research Network on Men in Europe project, “The Social Problem and Societal Problematization of Men and Masculinities” (2000-2003), funded by the European Commission. The Network comprises women and men researchers with a range of disciplinary backgrounds from Estonia, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Norway, Poland, the Russian Federation, and the United Kingdom. The Networks initial focus is on mens relations to home and work, social exclusion, violence, and health. Some of the findings on the Networks fourth phase of work, namely the review of newspaper and media representations of mens practices in the ten countries, are presented. This is the last of four articles reviewing critical studies on men in the ten countries through different methods and approaches.

A Reconsideration of Two “Welfare Paradises”: Research and Policy Responses to Men's Violence in Denmark and Sweden

This article compares the situation in Denmark and Sweden regarding research and policy making around the issue of men’s violence to women and children. It does so by drawing on two comprehensive reviews of academic and policy data in those countries that were part of a broader European Union—funded project. Although the picture emerging from this comparison is complex, the overall conclusion is that in Sweden over recent years many more examples can be found of a critical, power-oriented approach than is the case in Denmark.

Critical Studies on Men in Ten European Countries (2) The State of Statistical Information

This article is one the work of The European Research Network on Men in Europe project “The Social Problem and Societal Problematization of Men and Masculinities” (2000-2003), funded by the European Commission. The Network comprises women and men researchers with range of disciplinary backgrounds from Estonia, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Norway, Poland, the Russian Federation, and the United Kingdom. The Networks initial focus is on mens relations to home and work, social exclusion, violences, and health. Some of findings on the Networks second phase of work, namely the review of statistical sources on mens practices in the ten countries, are presented. This is the second of four articles reviewing critical studies on men in the ten countries through different methods and approaches.

Studying Men in Europe

Men have long dominated public, and indeed also private, agendas. Much of what is called politics, research and public discourse more generally has been centrally about men, often overwhelmingly so — an unnamed, obvious but strangely invisible, process — an absent presence.1 Men, masculinity and men’s powers and practices have typically been taken-for-granted. Gender has largely been seen as a matter of and for women; men were generally seen as ungendered, natural or naturalised.