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The intersection of youth masculinities, decreasing homophobia and class: an ethnography

McCormack, M.

The intersection of youth masculinities, decreasing homophobia and class: an ethnography Thumbnail


Authors

M. McCormack



Abstract

This article examines the emergence of progressive attitudes toward homosexuality among working-class boys in a sixth form in the south of England to develop an intersectional analysis of class, youth masculinities and decreasing homophobia. Drawing on three months of ethnographic data collection, I find that working-class male youth intellectualize pro-gay attitudes and that homophobic language is almost entirely absent from the setting. I document the presence of homosocial tactility, as well as the valuing of friendship and emotional closeness. However, these behaviours are less pronounced than documented among middle-class boys, and I use these findings to advance understanding of how class influences the development of inclusive attitudes and behaviours. Inclusive masculinity theory is used to understand these findings, refining the theory and extending it to a new demographic.

Citation

McCormack, M. (2014). The intersection of youth masculinities, decreasing homophobia and class: an ethnography. British Journal of Sociology, 65(1), 130-149. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-4446.12055

Journal Article Type Article
Online Publication Date Mar 19, 2014
Publication Date Mar 19, 2014
Deposit Date May 10, 2013
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal British Journal of Sociology
Print ISSN 0007-1315
Electronic ISSN 1468-4446
Publisher Wiley
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 65
Issue 1
Pages 130-149
DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-4446.12055
Keywords Class, Heterosexuality, Homophobia, Intersectionality, Masculinity, Youth.

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Copyright Statement
This is the accepted version of the following article: McCormack, M. (2014), The intersection of youth masculinities, decreasing homophobia and class: an ethnography. The British Journal of Sociology, 65(1): 130–149., which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1468-4446.12055




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