Social Politics: International Studies in Gender, State & Society Advance Access published online on February 29, 2008
Social Politics: International Studies in Gender, State & Society, doi:10.1093/sp/jxn004
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Gender, Class, and Family: Men and Gender Equality in a Danish Context
Correspondence: adc{at}socsci.aau.dk
Correspondence: joergen.elm.larsen{at}sociology.ku.dk
The aim of the article is to contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of men's different conditions and choices in contemporary Danish society. The article is based on interesectionality and diversity thinking as it distinguishes between options available to men in different social positions. The primary focus is on various types of empirical data that illuminate the intersection of gender, class, and family in terms of public discourses on men and equality, differences in living conditions, and in coping capabilities. The article has three sections: Section one presents the theoretical framework and the two key concepts: hegemonic masculinity and intersectionality; Section two discusses a differentiated equality concept based on Amartya Sen's concept of equality, which emphasizes the different options available to particular groups of men; Section three is the empirical part of the article where we outline the specific characteristics of the intersection of gender, class, and family. Here we first discuss how middle-class men have dominated the Danish equality discourse on men. Second, we explore both inter and intra difference in living conditions for men and women in relation to different class and family positions. Third, we explain the specific characteristics of a Danish gender profile with an extreme polarization between men in the top and the bottom of society. We elaborate this in final perspectives by presenting three possible scenarios for different types of masculinities and their realistic "choices" and potential capabilities to develop sustainable coping strategies.