Abstract

Hegemonic representations of African men have focused on the male breadwinner ideal. In today’s neoliberal context, characterized by economic insecurity and social inequality, African men are said to be experiencing a ‘crisis of masculinity,’ demonstrated by displays of violence, dominance, and denial of responsibility. This article builds upon research highlighting emergent masculinities that challenge stereotypical depictions of African men within this framework. Based upon ethnographic research with young, urban fathers in Sierra Leone, it demonstrates that masculinities are shifting in light of disruptions brought about by war and the recent Ebola epidemic. Despite tensions with existing patriarchal norms, emerging are masculine ideals tied to love and care. I argue that masculinities in Sierra Leone, rather than being in crisis, reflect post-crisis social realities, and that more studies should attend to ‘post-crisis masculinities’—the notion that gender norms change in response to major societal disruptions. Such a focus will make space for more positive accounts of men’s lives.

摘要

非洲男性的霸权表现集中在男性养家糊口的理想上。在当今以经济不安全和社会不平等为特征的新自由主义背景下，据说非洲男性正在经历“男子气概危机”，表现为暴力、支配地位和否认责任。本文建立在强调新兴男性气质的研究之上，这些男性气质挑战了该框架内对非洲男性的刻板印象。基于对塞拉利昂年轻城市父亲的人种学研究，它表明，鉴于战争和最近的埃博拉疫情带来的破坏，男性气质正在发生变化。尽管与现有的父权制规范存在紧张关系，但新兴的是与爱和关怀相关的男性理想。我认为塞拉利昂的男子气概，而不是在危机中，反映了危机后的社会现实，更多的研究应该关注“危机后的男性气质”——即性别规范因重大社会动荡而发生变化的概念。这种关注将为更积极地描述男性的生活腾出空间。