Visualising the Rural: A Photoelicitation Study on the Impact of Nationhood and Rurality on the Construction of Masculinities in Southwestern Finland
(2024) SIMZ21 20241Graduate School
- Abstract
- Political narratives and nationalist myths often promote specific images of women and men, of masculinity and femininity. Historically, such discourse has been used to promote gendered traits and norms, positioning, for example, women as the biological and cultural reproducers of the state, and men as its defenders. Within this discourse, rural men are often portrayed as the embodiments of a traditional, rugged, and self-reliant masculinity. This thesis investigates the impact of national identity and rurality on the construction of rural masculinities in Southwestern Finland. The study employed a critical visual methodology known as photo-elicitation: Five rural men provided self-selected images depicting rural life, Finnishness, and... (More)
- Political narratives and nationalist myths often promote specific images of women and men, of masculinity and femininity. Historically, such discourse has been used to promote gendered traits and norms, positioning, for example, women as the biological and cultural reproducers of the state, and men as its defenders. Within this discourse, rural men are often portrayed as the embodiments of a traditional, rugged, and self-reliant masculinity. This thesis investigates the impact of national identity and rurality on the construction of rural masculinities in Southwestern Finland. The study employed a critical visual methodology known as photo-elicitation: Five rural men provided self-selected images depicting rural life, Finnishness, and manhood which were later discussed in a semi-structured interview. Both spoken and visual material were analysed via Textual-Visual Thematic Analysis. The theoretical work of Yuval-Davis (1997) on the nation as a gendered project and Connell on multiple masculinities (2000) were used as the primary lenses for approaching the topic and analysing the data. The findings suggest that regional and village affiliations, along with local community and familial ties, are often more significant than national identity. The study reveals evidence of a shifting rural masculinity characterised by complexity and difference—for example, participants exhibited both adherence to and resistance towards traditional gendered notions, such as the male breadwinner role, and expressed both confusion and acceptance of evolving gender identities. Evidence of evolving traditional norms and changing masculinities also emerged, indicating adaptation to changing social norms. While these findings cannot be broadly generalised, they offer valuable insights as a localised case study, and highlight the importance of masculinity as an analytical category in both Gender Studies and Political Science. (Less)
- Popular Abstract
- This thesis explores how rural men in Southwestern Finland perceive and construct their masculinity, influenced by national identity and rural life. Political narratives and nationalist myths often shape traditional images of masculinity and femininity, with rural men frequently depicted as rugged and self-reliant. To investigate this, the study used photo-elicitation, where five men provided images that represent rural life, Finnishness, and manhood. These images were then discussed in interviews and analysed. The study found that local community and family ties often hold more significance for men than broader national identity. The findings reveal that rural masculinity is evolving, with participants showing both adherence to and... (More)
- This thesis explores how rural men in Southwestern Finland perceive and construct their masculinity, influenced by national identity and rural life. Political narratives and nationalist myths often shape traditional images of masculinity and femininity, with rural men frequently depicted as rugged and self-reliant. To investigate this, the study used photo-elicitation, where five men provided images that represent rural life, Finnishness, and manhood. These images were then discussed in interviews and analysed. The study found that local community and family ties often hold more significance for men than broader national identity. The findings reveal that rural masculinity is evolving, with participants showing both adherence to and resistance against traditional gender roles, such as the male breadwinner role. Some men expressed confusion about changing gender identities, while others were more accepting. Although the results are specific to this region, they offer valuable insights into the changing nature of masculinity, and contribute to studies of masculinity within Gender Studies and Political Science. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9174743
- author
- Suominen, Aurora LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- SIMZ21 20241
- year
- 2024
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- Nationhood, Rurality, Identity, Masculinity, Photo-elicitation
- language
- English
- id
- 9174743
- date added to LUP
- 2024-09-23 11:39:38
- date last changed
- 2024-09-23 11:39:38
@misc{9174743,
abstract = {{Political narratives and nationalist myths often promote specific images of women and men, of masculinity and femininity. Historically, such discourse has been used to promote gendered traits and norms, positioning, for example, women as the biological and cultural reproducers of the state, and men as its defenders. Within this discourse, rural men are often portrayed as the embodiments of a traditional, rugged, and self-reliant masculinity. This thesis investigates the impact of national identity and rurality on the construction of rural masculinities in Southwestern Finland. The study employed a critical visual methodology known as photo-elicitation: Five rural men provided self-selected images depicting rural life, Finnishness, and manhood which were later discussed in a semi-structured interview. Both spoken and visual material were analysed via Textual-Visual Thematic Analysis. The theoretical work of Yuval-Davis (1997) on the nation as a gendered project and Connell on multiple masculinities (2000) were used as the primary lenses for approaching the topic and analysing the data. The findings suggest that regional and village affiliations, along with local community and familial ties, are often more significant than national identity. The study reveals evidence of a shifting rural masculinity characterised by complexity and difference—for example, participants exhibited both adherence to and resistance towards traditional gendered notions, such as the male breadwinner role, and expressed both confusion and acceptance of evolving gender identities. Evidence of evolving traditional norms and changing masculinities also emerged, indicating adaptation to changing social norms. While these findings cannot be broadly generalised, they offer valuable insights as a localised case study, and highlight the importance of masculinity as an analytical category in both Gender Studies and Political Science.}},
author = {{Suominen, Aurora}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Visualising the Rural: A Photoelicitation Study on the Impact of Nationhood and Rurality on the Construction of Masculinities in Southwestern Finland}},
year = {{2024}},
}