New masculinities: what they are and what is proposed in them.

A series of proposals that question the phenomenon of hegemonic masculinity.

Among the contributions and controversies that have emerged from feminist approaches, especially from feminism that advocates for the diversity of identities, a line of research and action has emerged that is beginning to be known as "New Masculinities". has emerged that is beginning to be known as "New Masculinities"..

This line has made it possible to rethink different gender-related practices and to understand more specifically the male subjectivities that have been consolidated as hegemonic and sometimes violent. In this way and in some spaces, it has been possible to act politically and therapeutically to counteract this.

Although this is something that is still in development, we can outline here some antecedents and proposals that have emerged, as well as important fields of action.

The New Masculinities: response to a crisis.

Gender approaches provoke discomfort. They cause discomfort because they question our places in the world, they force us to rearrange subjective positions, that is to say, identities and relationships between one and the other. In this sense, they are discomforts that generate a "productive discomfort" (Sanchez, 2017).

If we analyze the social transformations of recent years, and especially look at the violent practices with which many men have tried to reaffirm their own virility; we can notice that masculinity is in a crisis.

Crisis that is especially visible in violence against women, but which is also related to different gender discomforts experienced by men themselves. Gender approaches have made it possible to pay attention to this. They make it possible to understand some specific questions about relationships, subjectivities and discomforts that have been constructed through gender binarism.

Until recently, the focus of attention in gender perspectives has been centered solely on women and femininity. and femininity. Masculinity and its values had remained untouchable. It then became necessary to create models that offered new places and roles (more equitable and more free of violence) that did not only focus on women's experience.

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An alternative to hegemonic masculinity?

New Masculinities emerge as an alternative to hegemonic masculinity. The term "hegemonic masculinity" refers to the dominant masculinity behaviors, which includes the more traditional models of gender dominationbased, for example, on mandates such as "men don't cry", "they are always brave", "not feminine at all", "unquestionably heterosexual", etc.

In other words, these are the values, beliefs, attitudes, myths, stereotypes or behaviors that legitimize men's power and authority over women (and everyone else who is not a heterosexual man).

Hegemonic masculinity is the one that has given rise to a whole form of political and social organization based on the idea of masculinity. political and social organization based on the idea of male leadership and the predominance of the cosmo and the predominance of the male worldview over other forms of life.

However, this hegemony can also be reproduced in models that present themselves as alternative and new (and not only in traditional masculinity), which is why the concept of New Masculinities is constantly under review. Thus, one of the bases for the rethinking of masculinity is its self-reflective and critical capacity towards the different models, values, practices, and experiences of masculinity.

In short, they are known as New Masculinities because they seek to consolidate alternative experiences and practices to hegemonic masculinity.

Political and therapeutic action centered on masculine experience

It is quite common for men to claim the task of teaching women what to do to stop being violated. But this often occurs through prohibition, and from the convenience of the man himself (don't wear such and such clothes, don't go out alone, don't talk in such and such a way, etc.).

Faced with this, in one way or another many women have explained that the way to show solidarity with feminist struggles, and against gender violence, is not by that way; among other things because the recommendations are made from experiences completely unrelated to gender violence.which in the end reproduce the same domination.

This has not only been expressed by women, but many men have responded by creating paths based on their own experience, which translate into political and therapeutic actions.

Rethinking gender models

In general terms, the idea is to generate collective rethinking of gender (specifically around masculinity) as a political action to address some phenomena related to gender violence and discomfort, from the masculine experience of men.

In other words, it is a matter of "deconstructing" hegemonic masculinity.. That is, to become aware of the historical and structural conditions that have generated gender inequalities and violence, and to take individual responsibility for what corresponds.

For example, to assume when they have been participants in such violence and collectively seek some strategies to avoid it. Or, to share one's own vulnerability by making explicit the experiences and discomforts of gender; and from there, to articulate them with the experiences and discomforts of the other gender and non-hegemonic sexulalities.

New Masculinities or Hybrid Masculinities?

The concept of New Masculinities has generated many debates. For example, Jokin Azpiazu, a pioneer in the rethinking of the masculine gendersuggests that the idea of New Masculinities is best understood through the concept of "hybrid masculinities," first proposed by sociologist C.J. Pascoe.

The latter term refers to the fact that masculinities per se should not be presented as new, but that the effort should be toward incorporating non-hegemonic elements that generate new models and relationships.

Otherwise, there is a risk of adapting the same hegemonic masculinity to the new needs posed by gender approaches, which ultimately generates new forms of domination. In other words, practices that are apparently innocuous but that ultimately reproduce the same structures of inequality. reproduce the same structures of inequality.

In the same vein, the author reflects on whether it is necessary to vindicate a different masculinity, or whether it is rather a matter of problematizing masculinity as a whole.

Bibliographical references:

• Men and New Masculinities Collective (2018). Nosotros. Get to know our actions and philosophy. Retrieved May 08, 2018. Available at http://colectivohombresymasculinidades.com.
• Sánchez, J. (2017). Masculinity and feminism: a space of "productive discomfort". Retrieved 08 May 2018. Available at http://www.pikaramagazine.com/2017/06/masculinidades-y-feminismo-un-espacio-de-incomodidad-productiva/.
• Bergara, A., Riviere, J. and Bacete, R. (2008). Men, equality and new masculinities. Emakunde Instituto Vasco de la Mujer: Vitoria.
• Segarra, M. and Carabí (Eds). (2000). Nuevas masculinidades. Icara: Barcelona.