Magazine and reader constructions of 'metrosexuality' and masculinity: a membership categorisation analysis

Hall, M and Gough, B, 2011. Magazine and reader constructions of 'metrosexuality' and masculinity: a membership categorisation analysis. Journal of Gender Studies, 20 (1), pp. 67-86. ISSN 0958-9236

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Abstract

Since the launch of men's lifestyle magazines in the 1980s, academic literature has predominantly focused on them as a cultural phenomenon arising from entrepreneurial and commercial initiatives and/or as cultural texts that proffer representations of masculinity such as 'new lad' and 'new dad'. This paper steps aside from the focus on culture and, instead, treats magazine content as a discursive space in which gender and sexuality are oriented to, negotiated, and accomplished within and beyond the magazine itself (i.e. through readers' responses). Specifically, membership categorisation analysis is deployed to explore how the relatively new (and perhaps alternative) category for men - 'metrosexual' - is presented and received. Our analysis suggests that masculinity concerns are central in debates about 'metrosexuality', with self-identified 'metrosexuals' invoking heterosexual prowess and self-respect on the one hand, and critics (e.g. selfidentified 'real men') lamenting 'metrosexuality' for its perceived effeminacy and lack of authenticity on the other. Implications for understanding contemporary masculinities are discussed.

Item Type:	Journal article
Publication Title:	Journal of Gender Studies
Creators:	Hall, M. and Gough, B.
Publisher:	Routledge
Date:	2011
Volume:	20
Number:	1
ISSN:	0958-9236
Identifiers:	Number Type 10.1080/09589236.2011.542023 DOI
Rights:	This is an Author's Original Manuscript of an article whose final and definitive form, the Version of Record, has been published in the Journal of Gender Studies, 2011, copyright Taylor & Francis, available online at: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/09589236.2011.542023.
Divisions:	Schools > School of Social Sciences
Record created by:	EPrints Services
Date Added:	09 Oct 2015 10:01
Last Modified:	23 Aug 2016 09:07
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/6506

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