Self-positioning as a man in transnational contexts: constructing and managing hybrid masculinity

The majority of research on migrant men is focused on critical analyses regarding the domestic sphere, family relations, power and equality. The analysis is often based on a juxtaposition of migrant and Western patterns of masculinity. Little attention is paid to young, highly skilled, single migrants who may experience challenges regarding their gender role as they change countries. Among adolescents and young adults, different visions of masculinities and gender roles are important factors in general adaptation. These ideas influence the way young people spend their free time, make friends, and are accepted in their peer group. On the one hand, differing perspectives can impede adaptation; however, on the other hand, these differences may be used to evade gender norms that are oppressive or inconvenient. This paper is based on biographical narrative interviews with men of different nationalities who have migrated in childhood and in their adult lives (serial migrants). Three case studies are explored, each illustrating certain strategies of constructing and managing one’s masculinity.