Thirteenth Global Studies Conference

Abstract

In contemporary Nigeria, the relatively gender-segregated character of social life means that men’s relationships with each other dominate their daily lives. Further, male peer groups constitute a central arena for the performance of both social class and masculinity. Competent manhood is increasingly tied to having money and spending it in ways that are conspicuous (and even ostentatious), and yet at the same time generous. For elite men in urban settings, sports clubs are attractive arenas in which to build politically and economically valuable social networks, display wealth, demonstrate masculinity, and consolidate their class position. While at some level many of the men who join and regularly participate in club activities recognize these benefits, in everyday discourse they mostly emphasize just having fun. Drawing on decades-long experience with men’s tennis clubs in southeastern Nigeria, in this paper I explore the importance of leisure, pleasure, and male comradery in the making of masculine privilege.