Violence as “doing masculinity”: What Does Using Messerschmit’s Structured Action Theory Clarify?

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  • 男性性実践としての男性の暴力行為
  • 男性性実践としての男性の暴力行為 : メッサーシュミットの構造化された行為理論によって何が明らかにされ得るか
  • ダンセイセイ ジッセン ト シテ ノ ダンセイ ノ ボウリョク コウイ : メッサーシュミット ノ コウゾウカ サレタ コウイ リロン ニ ヨッテ ナニ ガ アキラカ ニ サレ エル カ
  • ―メッサーシュミットの構造化された行為理論によって何が明らかにされ得るか―

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Abstract

<p>To date, sociological action theory has been paid little attention to violent action, especially in the context of men’s domestic violence and sexual violence against women. Previous research, especially radical feminism, explains how patriarchy shapes violence. Criminological research, based on Talcott Parsons’s theory, posits that men’s social role influences men’s violence. Messerschmidt’s criticism such explanations is that they pay little attention to the social dynamics related to violence. He demonstrates men’s violence has a social aspect that can be conceptualized as “doing masculinity”. In this chapter, the author intends to analyze the effectiveness of Messerschimdt’s theory and discussions. There are many facets Messerschmidt’s considers when investigating social process of violence. He intends to conceptualize and understand violent action as an interrelation of gender, sexuality, ethnicity and social class. In some social situations, some men may experience the marginalization of his social self and in specific situations, the subordination of his masculinity. In terms of “doing masculinity”, violent acts can be understood as actions expressing a dominant form of masculinity. In this context, a violent actor intends to diminish subordinated masculinity and be an appropriate masculine actor. Furthermore, in this chapter the author discusses how, and which, social identities tied to masculinity contribute to the social process of sexual violence. Messerschmidt conceptualizes “doing heteromasculinity” to interpret and explain motivations of sexual violence. Although notions of hetero-normativity in North America are different from Japanese ones, fundamentally modern society is characterized by heterosexuality. The author supposes quite large numbers of men emphasize the aspect of “hetero masculine self”. To sum up, much more research about men’s domestic violence and sexual violence should be conducted in considering the context and influences of social conceptions of masculinity.</p>

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