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Male Rape, Masculinities, and Sexualities pp 155–193Cite as

Palgrave Macmillan

Hegemonic Masculinity, Heteronormativity, and Male Rape

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Abstract

This empirical chapter will test the dissimilar male rape myths that have been found in previous literature that have been drawn on in Chapter 3. This chapter presents findings and literature relating to masculinities, sexualities, and male rape, using theoretical frameworks, such as hegemonic masculinity, to discuss particular themes that have emerged from the data relating to gender, masculinities, and sexualities. This chapter will also explore gay, subordinate, and marginalised masculinities because the enactment of hegemonic masculinity is un-meaningful outside its relationship to non-hegemonic masculinities. In other words, the essence and meaning of hegemonic masculinity is unravelled through the legitimation of the relationship between subordinate and subjugated forms of masculinities, such as gay masculinities.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    It is worthwhile to note that the police officers who had expressed beliefs that women cannot rape men were actually not aware that, under UK law , a woman cannot commit rape against a man. The lack of legal understanding regarding male rape is further developed in Chapter 6.

  2. 2.

    Arguably, a specialist police officer holding such a view may be concerning, because one would think that specialist training would help to eradicate such a harmful view. Perpetuating the myth that male rape is a homosexual issue ignores the possibility that offenders may be heterosexual and that male rape can also affect the heterosexual population.

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  1. University of East London, University Square, London, UK

    Aliraza Javaid

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  1. Aliraza Javaid
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Correspondence to Aliraza Javaid .

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Javaid, A. (2018). Hegemonic Masculinity, Heteronormativity, and Male Rape. In: Male Rape, Masculinities, and Sexualities. Palgrave Hate Studies. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-52639-3_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-52639-3_5

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-52638-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-52639-3

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