Pierre Bourdieu's and Robert W. Connell's Construction of Masculinity. Male Domination and Hegemonic Masculinity

Seminar paper from the year 2011 in the subject Sociology - Gender Studies, grade: 1.0 (Excellent), University of Rostock, language: English, abstract: This paper deals with the concepts of male domination by Pierre Bourdieu and hegemonic masculinity by Robert W. Connell. The background of the comparison presented here is based on the assumption of a connection between the theoretical perspectives. The paper aims to clarify some central questions: How did male hegemony emerge or has been constructed? How were these structures able to secure their self-evidence and legitimacy over centuries? Why are patriarchal structures still ubiquitous today? How can the structures of male hegemony or male domination be changed or even ended? In order to answer these questions, both concepts will be examined individually in terms of method and theory in the following, and then analysed together. In the last part of the paper, the concepts are critically examined, discussed and included in current references.