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‘We’re Different from Everyone Else’: Contradictory Working-Class Masculinities in Contemporary Britain

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Debating Modern Masculinities: Change, Continuity, Crisis?

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Abstract

Alongside industrial change, social, cultural and political traditions have altered youth transitions from school to work. A ‘crisis’ of masculinity has also been reported to have developed alongside these changes, with working-class men in particular struggling to adapt. This chapter looks at the experiences of those who embrace a contemporary form of youth culture known as the ‘alternative scene’. These young men were often alienated, bullied and victimised for their apparent non-normative performances of masculinity in their community. However, I suggest that these non-normative performances of masculinity continue to evidence many traditional discourses that contradict their own ‘alternative’ displays.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Health and Social Care, Open University, UK

    Michael R. M. Ward (Research Assistant)

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  1. Michael R. M. Ward
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Kent, UK

    Steven Roberts (Senior Lecturer on Social Policy and Sociology) (Senior Lecturer on Social Policy and Sociology)

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© 2014 Michael R.M. Ward

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Ward, M.R.M. (2014). ‘We’re Different from Everyone Else’: Contradictory Working-Class Masculinities in Contemporary Britain. In: Roberts, S. (eds) Debating Modern Masculinities: Change, Continuity, Crisis?. Palgrave Pivot, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137394842_4

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