The Dilemma of Consumerist Masculinity in Capitalist West Africa
Men Navigating Gender, Class, and Romance in Sierra Leone's Informal Economy
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 2365751 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Joshua Lew Mcdermott (0000-0002-9677-9164, Southeastern Louisiana University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 53 |
| Issue | 6 |
| Pages | 723-757 |
| Publication date | 2024-12-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Contemporary Ethnography (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0891-2416 • E-ISSN: 1552-5414 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1177/08912416241269890 |
| OpenAlex | W4401650445 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 40 |
In urban Sierra Leone, more than 90% of young men survive precariously in the informal economy. Squeezed by an underdeveloped economy and the pressure to engage in a culture-ideology of consumerism indicative of twenty-first century capitalism, these men face the existential crisis of being unable to meet the material requirements for maintaining romantic relationships, caring for their families, and fulfilling expectations of a consumerist masculinity. This ethnography explores how these young men navigate this disconnect, grounding its analysis of masculinity in a class-based approach which centers the dearth of good jobs and the prevalence of informal work, both central features of capitalism in Africa today
Capitalism · Consumerism · Dilemma · Economic growth · Economics · Ethnography · Ideology · Informal sector · Masculinity · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Romance · Sierra leone · Socioeconomics · Sociology · Anthropology · Gender Roles and Identity Studies · Gender Studies · Law · Psychology · Sex work and related issues
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| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |