An Aging Male Turn in the Study of Hegemony

Conflict sociology pointed toward a ‘male turn’ when Connell theorized the hegemonic effect of masculinity in the 1980s. Defining masculinity as all that groups do to distinguish men, most sociologists now theorize it as distinguishing men not only as different from women but as better fit for valuable work and deserving the un(der)paid care of women and subordinate men. The study of men thus offered progress in the study of hegemony. Just as second wave feminism had increased women’s claims to pay for their work, continuing deindustrialization and decline of labor union has altered the breadwinner role for many men. Today, a large anti-aging industry sells men a chance to fight to regain their privileged status. Drawing on interviews with nine middle-aged men and ten middle-aged women in the U.S., I show that the men approach the anti-aging preservation of bodies in ways that distance them from consumer roles and focus on performance at work and at athletic play, emphasizing the “fight” and “work” in ways that women do not. I conclude by suggesting that the study of middle-age manhood offers a unique vantage on the operation of hegemony. Acceptance of ideals of manhood can lead aging men to hold themselves personally responsible for the exclusion that they anticipate enduring in old age, offering a rare opportunity to test Connell’s widely cited theory. This may not require an ‘aging male’ turn in sociology, but it does suggest the importance of intersectional analysis.