Description
Critical military studies employ masculinity theories as critical lenses to examine a diverse range of issues – such as (resistance to)violence, (anti)militarism, conscription, – across different temporal contexts, including conflict, post-conflict, and ‘peacetime’ periods. However, these theories, in particular the concept of military masculinities, have also faced scepticism for becoming ‘overly familiar and “comfortable”’ (Zalewski, 2017, p.200).This scepticism has encouraged efforts to “keep the concept curious, sceptical, and uncomfortable.” In a further exploration of this concern, this article examines the impact of theories of masculinities on critical military studies. Through a meta-synthesis analysis, it explores the methodological, theoretical, and geographical orientations, as well as the contextual focuses (including public, institutional, domestic, etc) of the articles that adopted theories of masculinities and were published in the Journal of Critical Military Studies. This exploration aims to provide insights into the predominant concerns within critical military studies and highlight areas that remain unexplored or under emphasized. Additionally, this article investigates the potential enrichment of critical military studies through intersectional perspectives. It scrutinizes whether current literature propose alternative narratives that redefine masculinities and violence by considering their impacts on diverse segments of societies. By situating these findings within the broader framework of critical military studies, it suggests future directions for research.
