ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the debates over the concept of masculinity and the way it is built, expressed, and signified in terms of personal identity, and of power and gender relations. It suggests that men's inability to deal with victimisation, and their perception of loss of power, may drive them to counteract feelings of failure by behaving like "super-powered" men. The standard focus on violence—on women solely as victims, and men solely as perpetrators—narrows the perspective, often excluding other factors that fuel all types of violence, not just sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). The chapter reviews the changing construction of masculinity in an urban post-conflict context in Mozambique, to present some of the data and qualitative findings derived from research, and to discuss some potential drivers of violence prevention. The division of power in relationships between men and women is politicised, with power almost invariably ascribed to men and their masculine dominance.
