ABSTRACT
The focus of this chapter is on phallic masculinity, although two other forms of masculinity are also discussed, namely hypermasculinity and demasculinized masculinity. Phallic masculinity is, to a great extent, an ideal in our society, in general, for both men and women. It is characterized by a rejection of the motherly and the feminine. Hypermasculinity can be conceived of as an extreme version, and sometimes a very extreme version of phallic masculinity, in its propensity for violence, sexism, xenophobia and religious terrorism. The difference between phallic masculinity and hypermasculinity is discussed in intrapsychic terms. The third form of masculinity is a paradoxical form of masculinity and one which is most adequately captured by the oxymoron “demasculinized masculinity”. Somewhat paradoxically, although phallic masculinity forms a necessary backcloth to demasculinized masculinity, the latter manages to overturn and supersede the former by tearing itself away from the ideals of phallic masculinity, thus enabling a sense of relief to emerge and an experience of genuine masculinity to prevail.
