The Body In Hegemonic Masculinity

Disabled bodies are represented in various different ways, most of which are not in line with the traditional views of masculinity. Opsteyn (2015) argues that a lot of literature infantilizes disabled men, referring specifically to post-war writing to exemplify this. The reliance on others to perform tasks that are positioned as normal by able-bodied discourse is viewed as not only emasculating, but infantilizing. This image of the disabled male as childlike is one that remains dominant and is reproduced in various media representations of disability. Another popular representation of the disabled body in dominant discourse is one of asexuality. Shakespeare (1999) offers the idea that most popular media representations of disability focus …show more content…
As discussed earlier, the use of the body in sport plays an important part in characterisation of the quintessential masculine figure. Lindemann and Cherney (2008) argue that the the physical sport of wheelchair rugby, as well as the hyper masculine sporting culture that surrounds the game, subverts the assumptions of the function of the disabled body. The players in Murderball view their sport as a way to challenge the expectations of the disabled body as passive, infantile and unmasculine that are so prevalent in current hegemonic discourse. The language and conversations that revolve around the sports field between athletes (for example in locker rooms and sidelines) are a hugely important part of masculine identity (Wellard, 2009). Lindemann and Cherney (2008) point out that the on and off court conversation in wheelchair rugby players is akin to that of able-bodied athletes. They use this to argue that the on-court practice of the disabled body in quad rugby, as well as the off-court conversation, contribute to the hegemonic discourse of ableism and reinforce the standard form of heteronormative …show more content…
The drive towards hegemonic masculinity is not automatically absent in physically disabled men, as has been suggested in popular media representation. Although these men are often unable to express physical masculine behaviors in the same way that able-bodied men do, the ways in which they challenge the discourse of able-bodied masculinity align with the reinforcement of hegemonic masculinity rather than subvert it. This is done through the formation of gender identity through the devaluation of other oppressed social groups, such as disabled women and ‘lesser’ forms of masculinity such as homosexual and intellectually disabled men. Heteronormative ideas about sex, as well as values surrounding violence and the sporting body are present in the language and conversation employed by disabled men. While the culture of disabled sport, especially wheelchair rugby, disputes the passivity of the disabled male body, it does so in a way that reinforces the ideals of aggressive, sexualised