301208 Political Masculinity in the Americas (S) (WiSe 2026/2027)

Gender-based violence is one of the most pressing political challenges facing the Americas today. In response to feminist mobilizations across the region, anti-feminist and masculinist movements have gained momentum, particularly through digital spaces such as the manosphere. At the institutional level, political leaders such as Trump and Milei have portrayed gender equality as a threat to the family, the nation, and social order, illustrating how political institutions continue to reproduce hegemonic masculinities.

This interdisciplinary seminar introduces students to critical masculinity studies in International Relations. Drawing on feminist, queer, intersectional, and decolonial perspectives, it examines masculinities as political formations that shape power, leadership, nationalism, democracy, and resistance across the Americas. The course explores concepts such as hegemonic masculinity, new masculinities, the manosphere, online misogyny, and gender-based violence, while considering how feminist and queer critiques challenge dominant gender orders in contemporary global politics.