What makes a man: An examination of the constructions of masculinity among househusbands with variations on religion and socioeconomic status

• Main Authors: Aquino, Marla Erika Joy T., Baniqued, Denise S., De Jesus, Erika Aiza A., Go, Arthur Martin L.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2014
• Subjects: Stay-at-home fathers; Househusbands; Masculinity; Psychology
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/10773
• Institution: De La Salle University

This study aims to establish new constructions of masculinity through the utilization of intersectional analysis with an incorporation of the positioning theory, which is necessary in capturing the dynamism present in genders and gender role reversal, in answering the main research question: How are the constructions of masculinity produced by intersecting identities given by religion and social class in househusbands? The participants involved in the study are eight househusbands categorized into four groups -- (1) privileged Muslims, (2) privileged Christians, (3) underprivileged Muslims, and (4) underprivileged Christians -- and they were individually encouraged to participate to a semi-structured interview guide formulated by the researchers. The comprehensive interview questionnaire covers a brief introduction of the participants along with the multiple dimensions of their identities, and after an in-depth intersectional analysis was conducted on the derived results, the researchers found three major unifying constructions of masculinity first, privileged Christian househusbands connect their masculinity to how well they nurture their relationships with their family second, underprivileged Christian househusbands think of masculinity as how capable they are as husbands to sacrifice their own wellbeing for their brood and third, Muslims strictly abide by the Islamic definition of masculinity, which is that the man of the family should be the breadwinner and should never be an insubordinate to his wife. The excerpts from the interviews were presented in tables that showcase the different facets of familial dynamics including how the participants position themselves in relation to those spheres, which were used to examine the similarities among each participant's familial dynamics.