Avståndstagande från maskulinitet : Ett maskulinitetsskapande

In this interview study we have investigated how masculinity is created in young, heterosexual males, and how the relationship between their sexuality and identity is perceived. We have studied this in relation to the use of the social media Instagram. Through a thematic analysis we have found that (1) the informants view being emotional and considerate as more desirable attributes, and distance themselves from traditionally masculine attributes, which becomes the foundation for creating a new form of masculinity. (2) There’s a discrepancy between the attributes that informants find desirable and the practices that they take part in, as they aren’t able to completely avoid masculine norms. (3) The same awareness about the gender regime results in different approaches, as some informants take part in sexual content on social media in an effort to approve women’s sexuality, whereas some informants actively abstain from sexual content to not sexualise women. Both of these approaches result in sustaining the gender hierarchies, where the informants are positioned at the top. (4) The awareness about their privileges as heterosexual men becomes a form of masculinity creation in itself, as it gives them the ability to distance themselves from other men. (5) The informant has previously not reflected on the relation between sexuality and identity, as their identities are in accordance with social norms. Our conclusion is that issues concerning gender equality and upheaving the patriarchal system are not solved by focusing on individuals. While awareness of gender regimes might improve men's attitudes towards feminist ideology, it also becomes part of reinforcing the system of hegemonic masculinity, and thus consolidating the patriarchal system. The aim should rather be to focus on structural solutions, to reconstruct societal views on gender, which in the long run would benefit both men and women as equals