Underdogs, rebels, and heroes

Crime narratives as a resource for doing masculinity in autobiographies

Dados Bibliográficos

ID10756352
AutoresMonica Skrinjar, Tove Pettersson (0000-0002-6837-2164, Stockholm University, autor correspondente)
Ano2020
Volume57
Fascículo3–4
Data de publicação2020-12-21
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoSociologisk Forskning (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0038-0342 • E-ISSN: 2002-066X
EditoraSociologisk Forskning, Swedish Sociological Association (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.37062/sf.57.20241
OpenAlexW3114051798
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas1
Referências citadas18

This article shows how autobiographies of famous, socially well-established men (re)produce hegemonic masculinity through narratives of offending; how masculine performance is age graded; and that masculinity constructions are accomplished both via what is said and what is not said. The autobiographies of the footballer Zlatan Ibrahimović, the former high jumper Patrik Sjöberg and Sweden’s most famous criminologist, Professor Leif G.W. Persson, are analysed. Common to all three is that they openly describe a variety of crimes they have committed. These three men are highly respected in Sweden and none of them is considered as “a criminal” in general opinion. This article shows that crime can be a resource for doing masculinity even for famous, successful and highly respected men. The crime narratives in these autobiographies tell us something about the culturally accepted representations of masculinity that may not just pass as possible, but even as desirable

Art · Hegemonic masculinity · Literature · Masculinity · Narrative · Sociology · Variety (cybernetics · Crime, Deviance, and Social Control · Gender Studies