Men in a Matrilineal Society: Construction of Masculinity Among Garo Men in Bangladesh

Abstract

To analyse the social dynamics between men and women in a society, it is very important to understand masculinity and precisely how masculinity is constructed. Generally, we have discussed about masculinity from the lens of a patriarchal society. However, this paper, with support of the relevant theories, aspires to understand the masculinity from the perspective of a matrilineal society. It endeavours to examine how construction of masculinity is being shaped up and influenced in a matrilineal society – the psycho-social construction of men living in a matrilineal society. It then emphasizes how the social norms and practices, including interaction with some factors shape up the masculinity construction of a man.