Criminology | Concept of Hegemonic Masculinity

Running Head : Criminology
CRIMINOLOGY
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

Criminology1
Introduction
Sexual assault involves unwelcome sexual conduct that the offenders used to assert
dominance over women. It is an offensive act in which the individuals with ill intention made
physical contact without the consent of that woman or applied coercive force to induce sexual
conduct against their consent (DeMatteo, Galloway, Arnold & Patel, 2015). The paper deals with
R.W Connell’s cases of hegemonic masculinity relating to sexual violence of women.
Discussion
Concept of Sexual violence
Thus sexual violence involves oral penetration, forced violence, drug-assisted sexual
abuse, or any form of sexual exploitation to women. Sexual assault involves coercive sexual
conduct by the perpetrator or physical contact against the will (Fedina, Holmes & Backes, 2018).
The rape falls under sexual violence and involves penetration of any object to the body to any
extent.
Concept of hegemonic masculinity
Hegemonic masculinity is the gender theory advocated by R.W.Connell, which identifies
compound masculinities that differ in culture, time and people. Thus Hegemonic masculinities
are categorized as an act that sanctioned the dominant position of men in the social order and put
justification of male and women population and also the various marginalized manner of being
male in the society (Johansson & Ottemo, 2015). The theory intends to define the method of
men’s dominant position in the society and different gender distinctiveness, which are
considered as feminine in society. To the context of sociology, the notion of hegemonic

Criminology2
masculinity is adopted from the principle of cultural hegemony which is advocated by the
theorist of Marxist Antonio Gramsci who evaluates the relationship of influence among the men
and women in the society (Duncanson, 2015). The hegemonic masculinity covers the community
that has been challenged and transformed sociologically. The advocates of this theory claimed
that gender theory plays a significant role in analysing the gender relationship, education
criminology, the physical condition of genders, and the functional arrangement of organisations.
However, several criticisers argued that it ignores the positive side of masculinity, not self-
replicating, relies on the drawback that underlines the nature of masculinity or it vague in
practical application. The theory has proved to be functional in organisational research on gender
issues in the workplace and has been recognized its increasing rate. According to R.W Connell in
the contemporary period, hegemonic masculinity is based on two factors that are grading the
dominance of intermale and control of women. The theory is the stereotypic principle of
masculinity that propose to structure the aims of young males and socialisation. The ides of
hegemonic masculinity were first projected in the field report from the investigation of social
injustice in the high schools of Australia, in the discussions of creating masculinities and
knowledge of men's bodies and debate relating to the role of the male in the labour politics of
Australia. The theory draws a source from sociology and social phycology which provides
literature about the role of male gender recognize in the social context of masculinity and
possible change of male behaviour.
Principles of hegemonic masculinity
The adherence of men to antifeminine standards is accompanying the action of sexual
violence. The men who cohere to the principles of hegemonic masculine may realize the
compulsion to be sexually aggressive towards women for the purpose of maintaining dominance