Performing Masculinity: Body, Self and Identity in Modern Fiji

by Geir Presterudstuen

Geir Henning Presterudstuen provides an ethnographic account of howmen in the multicultural urban centres of Fiji perceive, construct andperform masculinities in the context of rapid social change. Theoreticallyinformed by critical feminist theories, postcolonialism, R.W. Connell's workon masculinities and a Bourdieuan conceptualization of the body, thisbook explores how notions of masculinity, manhood and the male bodyare shaped by the conflicting social forces of Fijian tradition, modernity, commercialization and urbanization.The book provides a timely intervention, from the grassroots level in theglobal south, into an ongoing discourse about men and masculinities thathas long been dominated by voices from Europe and the US. Combiningclassic ethnography with innovative social analysis, Presterudstuen'sbook is suitable for students and academics with an interest in genderand social change, and for scholars across a variety of disciplinesincluding anthropology, gender studies, sociology, pacific studies andinternational development.

214 pages, ebook

Published June 11, 2020

Reviews

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book makes the point that modernity as an analytical concept is played out corporally on men's bodies and that masculinity in Fiji is both a dominant form, but one that is constantly negotiated through less of race, gender, sexuality and tradition. What I liked about this book was the nuanced way the author spoke about multiple masculinities and the negotiations within. Moreover the constant negotiations of how to be a man in Fiji are exacerbated by the village/urban divide, and in this book the author explores the ways that urban and modern spaces allow for explorations and performances of masculinity that are not possible within more traditional areas. Ultimately this book is an interesting look at how masculinity is performed and how that performance differs by both the stage upon which it is performed and the audience that is watching.

[Jimmy J. Crantz · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was probably the book I had looked forward to reading the most during my course in Social Anthropology. I’ve previously taken a course on the topic of men and masculinities, and this book’s cover felt like a promise of both exciting perspectives and an interesting choice of setting. Unfortunately, the book ended up feeling just okay. I learned a bit more about Fiji, but I didn’t really get as much food for thought as I had hoped for.