ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that economic status is an important element of farmer identity, and that economic restructuring processes that involve producing 'winners' and 'losers' have important implications for the construction of farming identities. Contemporary processes of rural restructuring in north Cork involve increased competitiveness in the agricultural sector and have resulted in the production of 'winners' and 'losers' as defined in terms of the commercial viability of holdings. The chapter explores constructions of masculinity in the twenty first century among a particular group of farmers, that is, young farmers in a locality in north Cork in the south-west of Ireland. The sense of masculine pride in the nature of farm work is further reinforced by reference to visible signs of their achievements in the landscape. A hegemonic construction of farming masculinity based on core values of hard work and control of nature is maintained, despite changing economic and cultural contexts.
