Honoring the “face behind the mask”: Interrogating masculine performatives as counter-hegemonic action

Abstract

Patriarchal systems and hegemonic masculinity have consequences for all genders. One result is men’s submersion of authentic inclinations in favor of performing a socially constructed and rewarded “mask of masculinity.” Getting behind the mask can create space between self and system where dogmatic standards can be (re)examined toward authentic authorship. Similar to hooks’ (Yale Journal of Law & Feminism 4: 1-12, 1991) conception of theory as liberatory practice, a framework for understanding masculine performativity is offered and concepts related to intersectionality and queer authorship proposed as strategies for creating space for counter-hegemonic praxis.