Table Of Content“In this engaging and timely book Waling draws on a range of rich data to examine
historical shifts and continuities in representations of Australian masculinity,
and to investigate how masculinity is currently lived and understood. Through a
nuanced analysis she gives us unique insight into the contradictions and tensions
of contemporary manhood.”
– Barbara Pini, Professor of Sociology,
Griffith University, Australia
“Waling breathes new life into the critical study of men and masculinities with a
lucid style, and, dare I say, some much needed optimism. Empirically ambitious
and theoretically rich and diverse, White Masculinity in Contemporary Australia
is an account that stands out in an increasingly crowded arena.”
– Steve Roberts, Associate Professor of Sociology,
Monash University, Australia
White Masculinity in
Contemporary Australia
Spanning the disciplines of sociology, history, media and cultural studies, and
popular culture, this book offers a historical exploration of Australian masculine
tropes and an examination of contemporary representations of masculinity in
the media. With attention to a range of thematic issues, including race, gender,
sexuality, mythmaking, media representation, class, and nationality, it draws
on new qualitative research and interview material to investigate the ways in
which everyday Australian men take up or reject such ideas. White Masculinity
in Contemporary Australia thus explores the contradictory resistance to and
adoration of ideals of masculinity, forms of Othering used to differentiate the
practice of “good” masculinity from that of “bad” masculinity, the relationship
between heterosexuality, masculinity and Australian sporting culture as central to
ideals of masculinity, and the existence of differing pressures to be masculine. As
such it will appeal to scholars across the social sciences with interests in gender
and sexuality, Australian studies, and contemporary popular culture.
Andrea Waling (PhD) is a research fellow at the Australian Research Centre in
Sex, Health and Society, La Trobe University, Australia. Her research interests
include qualitative research, masculinity studies, sexualisation, LGBTIQ+ health
and well-being, and studies in gender and sexuality. Further details of her research,
projects, and publications can be found at andreawaling.wixsite.com/home.
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Biomedicalisation and the Promotion of Whiteness and Youth among Women
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Contemporary Muslim Girlhoods in India
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White Masculinity in Contemporary Australia
The Good Ol’ Aussie Bloke
Andrea Waling
For more information about this series, please visit: www.routledge.com/
sociology/series/SE0271
White Masculinity in
Contemporary Australia
The Good Ol’ Aussie Bloke
Andrea Waling
First published 2020
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
52 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2020 Andrea Waling
The right of Andrea Waling to be identified as author of this work has been
asserted by her in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in
any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing
from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or
registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation
without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Waling, Andrea, author.
Title: White Masculinity in Contemporary Australia : The Good Ol’ Aussie
Bloke/Andrea Waling.
Description: Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY : Routledge, 2019. |
Series: Routledge research in gender and society ; 80 | Includes
bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2019013054 (print) | LCCN 2019015532 (ebook) |
ISBN 9781315207766 (ebk) | ISBN 9781351801638 (web pdf) |
ISBN 9781351801621 (epub) | ISBN 9781351801614 (mobi/kindle) |
ISBN 9781138633285 (hbk)
Subjects: LCSH: Masculinity—Australia. | Men, White—Australia. |
Men—Identity. | National characteristics, Australian.
Classification: LCC HQ1090.7.A8 (ebook) | LCC HQ1090.7.A8 W35
2019 (print) | DDC 155.3/320994—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019013054
ISBN: 978-1-138-63328-5 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-20776-6 (ebk)
Typeset in Times New Roman
by Apex CoVantage LLC
For Marjorie, my beloved grandmother, who passed away
at the start of the PhD journey. A patron of the theatrical
arts, she always taught me that life was just a pantomime
on the stage.
For Agnes, who first instilled the love and curiosity of
studying culture and people.
Contents
List of figures and tables x
Foreword xi
Acknowledgements xiii
Introduction 1
1 Swagmen, surfers, and ANZACs: uncovering the
“Aussie” male trope 26
2 Consumerism and the revival of the Aussie bloke 52
3 Masculinity in Australian popular television 83
4 Defining “masculinity” 110
5 Fathers, footy, and WAGs 134
6 Devolution of the Australian male trope 158
7 Affirmation and rejection of masculinity 183
Conclusion 208
Index 219
