“Changing the channel”: Hybrid masculinity in a men’s prison

Abstract

Penological literature has focused extensively, and often exclusively, on the “hypermasculine” nature of men’s prisons. A separate and relatively recent body of sociological research has explored “hybrid masculinities,” whereby (usually privileged) men selectively enact traits conventionally associated with subordinate masculinities and even femininities. In this article, I draw on 24 in-depth interviews with incarcerated men to argue that these men construct hybrid masculinities in response to their feelings of insecurity and to resist the hypermasculine prison environment. In so doing, I link theoretical literature on hybrid masculinities with penological research to explore how a particularly marginalized group of men construct hybrid masculinities to cope with and challenge hegemonic masculinity in prison.

“It’s Just Flourishing Hope Everywhere”: The Experiences of Incarcerated Men Sharing Their Stories

“…The prison environment assumes a set of prescriptive norms that exaggerate traditional male attributes and encourage displays of domination, bravery, competition, violence, and aggression (Ricciardelli et al, 2015). Men’s adoption of hypermasculinity in prison settings is not simply a legitimate response to a dangerous living environment (de Vigiani, 2012), but represents an effort to cope with the destruction of the self that prison entry inevitably entails (Umamaheswar, 2020). When a man enters prison, his pre-prison identity is fundamentally altered (Asencio & Burke, 2011; Umamaheswar, 2020).…”

“Not Anybody can be a Dad”: The Intergenerational Transmission of Masculinity Among Incarcerated Men

“…In fact, the few studies that have evaluated the success of therapeutic programs in redefining men’s sense of masculinity have shown that there is reason for optimism (Fournier, 2016; Karp, 2010). Nevertheless, research critiquing the notion that men are one-dimensionally “hypermasculine” has also shown that men must adapt their masculinities to different settings in prison to cope with hypermasculinity (Crewe et al, 2014; Umamaheswar, 2020b; Warr, 2020). Feminist family therapists should thus be thoughtful when naming and describing their therapeutic programs to potential clients who may be stigmatized and perceived as weak for being involved in “feminist” therapy.…”

“…Masculinities are socially constructed and fluid, which means that their meanings are derived from shared understandings that evolve over social and historical contexts (Adams & Coltrane, 2005;Connell, 1998). Criminological and penological research has exhaustively demonstrated the salience of men's constructions of masculinity in their offending patterns (Messerschmidt, 1993(Messerschmidt, , 2005Rios, 2009) as well as their prison lives (Sabo et al, 2001;Sykes, 1958;Umamaheswar, 2020b). Research in this area has historically relied on the theoretical framework of "hegemonic masculinity" -the legitimized and idealized model of masculinity that valorizes aggression, competition, dominance, and strength (Connell & Messerschmidt, 2005).…”

“…Despite the violence that characterizes men's prisons, however, more recent penological scholarship has revealed overlooked complexities in incarcerated men's masculinities, casting doubt on the image of incarcerated men as singularly hypermasculine. Research in this area has demonstrated, for example, the "softer," more vulnerable (Crewe et al, 2014;Franzén, 2021;Ricciardelli et al, 2015;Sabo et al, 2001), and "hybrid" masculinities (Umamaheswar, 2020a(Umamaheswar, , 2020b) that incarcerated men exhibit. This important and growing body of scholarship underscores the importance of viewing men's prison masculinities as multi-dimensional and fluid across different social contexts, even within prison walls (Crewe et al, 2014;Warr, 2020).…”

“…Incarcerated men's masculinities have garnered a great deal of academic attention (Jewkes, 2005;Sabo et al, 2001;Sykes, 1958), but much of this research has historically focused on these men's aggressive behaviors, which often arise in response to the volatile, tense, and violent prison culture. The emphasis on incarcerated men's hypermasculinity in the prison environment (Sykes, 1958) resulted in an over-simplified portrait of their masculinities that scholars have recently begun to correct (Maycock & Hunt, 2018) by pointing to how incarcerated men experience and express vulnerability, fear, sadness, and love (Crewe et al, 2014;Laws & Lieber, 2020;Umamaheswar, 2020bUmamaheswar, , 2021b. Despite efforts to complicate our understandings of gender among incarcerated men, the bulk of research on gender-responsive treatment programs in prison has focused on the need for, and effectiveness of, these programs among incarcerated women.…”