Deploying Hegemonic Masculinity: A Study of Uses of the Concept in the Journal Psychology of Men & Masculinities

Questions about men and masculinities have arisen in psychology before, but it is only recently that a distinct research field has emerged. This field has made use of the concept of "hegemonic masculinity "; but in what way? The 26 papers published in Psychology of Men & Masculinities (PMM) from 2000 to early 2022 that mention this concept were examined. Over this period both the pattern of authorship and the balance of methods have changed. Most of the empirical work involves either quantitative scale-based studies or, increasingly, qualitative studies with smaller groups but more intensive methods. Considered as a whole, this literature convincingly documents the diversity of masculinities to be found among groups of men within the USA. There is a tendency to define hegemonic masculinity as a set of personal traits, rather than as a position in a structure of gender relations involving the subordination of women. Problems arise about the relation of hegemony to violence, and about the costs versus benefits of occupying a hegemonic position among men. Some directions in which the research field might develop are suggested, including greater attention to postcolonial perspectives in psychology.