The second thematic area addresses explanatory frameworks with an emphasis on gender, in particular the construction of violent masculinities and their intersections with social hierarchies and processes of social inclusion and exclusion. Constructions of masculinity that emphasize violent practices appear central in a broad range of human rights violations, from rape in wartime, to the trafficking of people, and violence in interpersonal relationships. Earlier theories have focused on different levels of explanations such as individual factors, socialization and learning within the family, or broader socio-cultural structures and processes. More recent work acknowledges the need for a gender perspective on each level, and, more specifically, addresses the widespread cultural links between violence and dominant masculinity.

CAHRV aims to review and integrate research that addresses the linkages between violence and violent masculinity, on the one hand, and dominance, hierarchy, social inclusion/exclusion, on the other hand. While the project will explore men's experiences as victims (see thematic area 1), it simultaneously will analyse how men create and reproduce hegemonic forms of masculinity and social exclusion, in particular with regard to racism. This issue is of central concern to the agenda of the European Union since the European Commission has sponsored extensive debates about racism and xenophobia, partly as a result of inward migration and the enlargement of the Union eastward.

Sub-network 2 updated the existing data on the European Documention Centre on Men (set up by the previous Framework 5 Network on Men): www.cromenet.org.

 

For more information, please contact Keith Pringle, University of Aalborg, Denmark, or Jeff Hearn, Swedish School of Economics, Finland.