Vulnerability in Becoming a Man: The Construction of Masculinity through Four Life Stories

Abstract

This article analyzes the construction of masculinities from the perspective of vulnerability, within the field of gender studies. It is based on the premise that societies operate under a phallogocentric structure that compels men to continually validate their masculinity, thereby obscuring their capacity for dissent and distancing them from their individuality. Through a qualitative approach, the study explores the experiences of four men in relation to their identity formation processes and their perceptions of masculinity. The methodology relied on ethnographic interviews, systematized using Atlas.ti software to generate visual representations of individual perceptions. The results reveal that the construction of masculinity is shaped by processes of validation, affective precariousness, and internal contradictions—highlighting the ambivalence of the male role, simultaneously positioned as both oppressor and oppressed. The article concludes that recognizing vulnerability as an inherent component of human nature is essential to challenge hegemonic models and promote diverse ways of being a man.