Men's zines down under : exploring gender, race, and social class through literacies

Social expectations can affect a person’s self-concept and view of her- or himself: their identity. Gender is socially constructed where differences between girls and boys and women and men are not natural, essential, or biological, but entrenched in social norms, practices, and rules. The zine community challenges the dominant representations of masculinity promoting alternative discourses, practices, and options for men. This chapter highlights two men’s literacy practices (one from Australia, co-authored with a man from Finland and a man from Australia) as they engaged in creating personal zines (perzines) that broaden possibilities for the performance of gender, race, and social class to promote diversity in social representations. In doing so, we present the men’s reflections on their identities, particularly as white men, and their performance of white masculinity