Masculinities and adolescence: A discussion about being a man

Abstract

With the expansion of the debate on gender inequalities, the question about the role of men in this discussion is being raised. To this end, the Masculinities Study Group was created at Ifes, Vitória campus, with the general objective of discussing socially constructed masculinity standards and their effects on the behaviors of men and women. The methodology used was fortnightly face-to-face meetings at Ifes – Vitória campus with the members of the study group in question, from October to December of 2019, with the discussion of previously selected texts that address some relevant issues related to the male universe and its crises. The dialectical method was used to promote discussions, as well as the perspectives and experiences of group members. The results were the knowledge of the narratives, impressions and discourses that students bring to the discussion, the recognition of the different manifestations of what it means to be a man in Western culture and the consequences of such constructions, making it possible, as a conclusion, to raise possible developments of other debates related to the topic.