Abstract
The post-WW II peace effort initiated a cultural shift that aimed to downplay identity politics tied to nationalism and masculinity. The European response to the Russian invasion of the Ukraine appears to have reversed these efforts radically. With a focus on Germany, this paper argues that the point of “epochal turn,” as the German Chancellor has coined it, had occurred already slowly through sociocultural developments that can be linked hegemonically to aggressive populist developments in the US where they culminated in the forceful occupation of the Capitol. Related public abandonment of normative nonviolent forms of communication in the US, intersecting with xenophobia and ethnic discrimination, and aggressive resistance to vaccination policies, influenced and transformed German ideals of male identity in the public sphere beyond populist groups. It simultaneously established public displays of aggressive behaviour that reverberated with the equally aggressive culmination of Russian and US rhetoric and foreign policy, and Ukrainian nationalism. Situating the argument in a framework of masculinity studies, a changing perception across the gender spectrum of transatlantic male identity ideals emerges as a foundation for popular support of European engagement beyond merely humanitarian support of the Ukraine.
Presenters
Johann JK ReuschAssociate Professor, Social and Historical Studies, University of Washington, Washington, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Vectors of Society and Culture
KEYWORDS
MASCULINITY, IDENTITY, POLITICS, SOCIETY, COVID, POPULISM, TRANSATLANTIC, POLICY, UKRAINE, WAR
