IP0602 Masculinities, Power and the Myths of the “Good Guy”

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https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-2r9by-1a3ede5

Content Note: This episode discusses masculinity, power, and gender-based violence at a structural and analytical level. There are no graphic descriptions, but some themes may be challenging. Please take care of yourself while listening.

Masculinity is often treated as a personality trait — something individual men have or don’t have, something that can be improved with better intentions.

In this episode of Intersectional Psychology, we take a different approach.

Drawing on feminist, decolonial, and African scholarship, we explore masculinity as a social structure — a hierarchy that organises power, normalises silence, and continues to shape institutions, relationships, and everyday life, even when men see themselves as “good people.”

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📄 Download a transcript of this episode on IntersectionalPsychology.com.

⏳ Chapter Timestamps

00:00:00 Pre-credit teaser 
00:01:42 Land acknowledgement
00:02:10 Title credits: Masculinities, power, and the myths of the “Good Guy”?
00:02:32 Welcome and introduction
00:04:11 What do we mean by “masculinity”?
00:05:31 Hegemonic masculinity: The gold standard?
00:07:38 Complicit masculinity: The “good guys”?
00:09:44 Marginalised masculinity: Power without privilege
00:11:54 Subordinate masculinity: Policed and punished
00:13:59 Ratele and the decolonial turn
00:15:46 Violence, gender, and accountability
00:17:16 Alternative masculinities: Yes, they exist
00:21:30 End credits

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Ama Ndlovu explores the connections of culture, ecology, and imagination.

Her work combines ancestral knowledge with visions of the planetary future, examining how Black perspectives can transform how we see our world and what lies ahead.