Imagined Masculinity: Body, Sexuality, and Family among Israeli Military Reserves

Abstract

This article explores how middle-class Jewish men on reserve duty in the Israel Defense Forces form a "proper" masculinity through humor and jokes. Reserve service creates a fruitful territory for researching four issues that have not been extensively studied in the literature on masculinities: the relation between gender and age, the periodic reaffirmation of masculinity along the life course, how women are perceived as sexual objects and how informal social pressure is placed on singles to marry and begin families, and how men not only are motivated by homophobia but use images of women and homosexuals to map and interpret power relations and competition between men.

Just one of the guys until shower time: How symbolic embodiment threatens women's inclusion in the US military

“…Research has documented the processes by which the masculinity of the military institution is created and maintained (Barrett, 1996;Hale, 2011;Höpfl, 2003;Sion & Ben-Ari, 2009), and how the construction of women as weak and in need of protection fosters this organizational culture (Jeffreys, 2007;Nantais & Lee, 1999;Woodward & Winter, 2006). Research has documented the processes by which the masculinity of the military institution is created and maintained (Barrett, 1996;Hale, 2011;Höpfl, 2003;Sion & Ben-Ari, 2009), and how the construction of women as weak and in need of protection fosters this organizational culture (Jeffreys, 2007;Nantais & Lee, 1999;Woodward & Winter, 2006).…”

“…We focus on a unique organizational field, the military. Research has documented the processes by which the masculinity of the military institution is created and maintained (Barrett, 1996;Hale, 2011;Höpfl, 2003;Sion & Ben-Ari, 2009), and how the construction of women as weak and in need of protection fosters this organizational culture (Jeffreys, 2007;Nantais & Lee, 1999;Woodward & Winter, 2006). Research on women in the military has also proliferated in recent decades.…”

“You’re Always First a Girl”: Emerging Adult Women, Gender, and Sexuality in the Israeli Army

“…The relationship between masculinity, humor, and age (Sion & Ben-Ari, 2007) has also been examined. Whereas the literature on gender in the Israeli military is a growing one, to the best of the knowledge of this author, no study has been done examining the intersections between gender, sexuality, culture, and developmental stage in women's military experiences.…”

Beforeplay: Family stories, teen and adult parents and sexual health communication.

“…Peer interactions provide a forum for behavioural exchanges and how that relates to self-concept (Gergen et al, 2004). Interacting with peers allows negotiation of gender role positioning in friendships, sexual relationships, and society (MacPherson & Fine, 1995;Sion & Ben-Ari, 2009). …”

“…Young women are also challenged to expand traditional gender roles (Valk, 2008;Ward, 2000). Young men on the other hand rarely hear messages challenging traditional masculinity (Averett et al, 2008;Ehrensaft, 2007;Sion & Ben-Ari, 2009). Sexuality discussions are also notably heterosexual, with parents utilizing a heterosexual reference point.…”