Los trabajos de cuidados y las masculinidades desde una epistemología afectiva

Abstract

Abstract

This paper examines the relationship between care work —understood as work that makes life sustainable— and masculinities. It presents preliminary findings from a broader project that explores the construction of hegemonic masculinities. The objective of this article was to observe whether, when performing care work, men experience sacrifices in other areas of their lives and in their future plans, as well as to understand the emotions that come into play when performing such work. To this end, we employed a qualitative and feminist methodology that centers emotions and recognizes that all knowledge is political. We worked with a sample of 60 men between the ages of 30 and 50. All live in the city of Córdoba, Argentina, and have dependents (minor children or relatives). On the one hand, in-depth interviews were conducted with 20 cisgender men selected for their affiliation with a school in the city center; on the other hand, another 40 men were observed in groups affiliated with state-run programs that work with men accused of gender-based violence and organize masculinity groups with a socio-educational focus. The results were presented along 3 main lines: a) physical aspects of caregiving; b) emotional aspects of caregiving; and c) resignation and postponement of personal goals. These were analyzed manually, revealing, through the narratives, their perspectives on their caregiving experiences.