Men in upheaval: integrating Hong Kong politics and critical studies of men and masculinities. Issue 7 (2nd September 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Liong, Mario; Ho, Petula Sik-Ying
• Is Part Of: Gender, place and culture. Volume 26:Issue 7/9(2019)
• Page Start: 1081
• Page End: 1093
• Publication Date: 2019-09-02
• Subjects: China politics -- Fishball Revolution -- Hong Kong -- men and masculinities -- political masculinities -- Umbrella Movement; Human geography -- Periodicals; Feminism -- Periodicals; Géographie féministe -- Périodiques; 305.305
• DOI: 10.1080/0966369X.2019.1615416
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0966-369X

Abstract

Abstract: In this short review, we explain the need for a multidimensional analytical framework for exploring how the construction of men and masculinities has shaped Hong Kong's social and political development, and how politics both enable and constrain men in their lived experiences and practices in various life spheres at the city's current political juncture. We observe that the majority of the extant research on men and masculinities in Hong Kong is depoliticized, whereas studies on current Hong Kong politics are largely gender-blind. However, the ever-tightening grip of the Chinese Communist Party and the instances of political resistance in response, namely, the Umbrella Movement of 2014 and Fishball Revolution of 2016, suggest that the influence of the wider political situation has penetrated every dimension of life, which has considerable implications for masculine identities and practices. Rather than continuing to conduct the depoliticized masculinity studies and genderless political studies we have seen to date, it is time for a thorough investigation of the dynamic intersection of men's practices and the political context of Hong Kong.