In gender relations there are inequalities not just
between groups of men and women, but also
between different types of masculinity. Hegemonic
masculinity is the most desired and powerful form
of masculinity; complicit masculinity describes the
gender relation of men who benefit from the
‘patriarchal dividend’ (i.e. they benefit from men’s
general dominance and higher status within
society) without achieving hegemonic masculinity;
marginalised masculinity refers to gender relations
experienced by men where their gender intersects
with other structures, such as class and race
(Connell, 2005; Meth & McClymont, 2009). These
are dynamic categories: an individual may move
between ‘masculinities’ in different contexts.