Transforming militarized masculinities: The case of working-class Protestant young men in East Belfast

A need exists to examine the ways in which masculine and feminine identities have been constructed in Northern Ireland to promote conflict and militarization in order to understand the importance of transforming these conceptions of masculinity and femininity in achieving a sustainable peace. A case study of the issues facing working-class Protestant young men in East Belfast is used in this thesis. Masculinity has been constructed around loyalist identity, traditionally male jobs, and the use of violence as a coping mechanism. Changing political and socio-economic conditions are forcing men to rethink their traditional conceptions of masculinity. The youth service has attempted different models of intervention in the personal development of young men that have explicitly or implicitly addressed masculinity. Newer approaches have potential to transform masculinity, but are often constrained by funding requirements, lack of resources, policies developed by the youth service, and lack of vision and support of politicians.