Inclusive Masculinity in a Fraternal Setting

This ethnographic research uses 32 in-depth interviews and two years of participant/observation on a large chapter of a national fraternity in order to examine the construction of masculinity among heterosexual men. Whereas previous studies of masculine construction maintain that most men in fraternities attempt to bolster their masculinity through the approximation of requisites of hegemonic masculinity, this research shows that there also exists a more inclusive form of masculinity institutionalized within the fraternal system: one based in social equality for gay men, respect for women, racial parity, and one in which fraternity men bond over emotional intimacy.