Fróðskaparrit - 01.01.2006, Qupperneq 44

Once Were Men
Masculinities among young men in the Faroe Islands
Einaferð vóru menn
Manslyndið hjá ungum monnum í Føroyum
Firouz Gaini
Institute of History and Social Sciences, University of the Faroe Islands, J.C. Svabosgøta 7,
FO-IOO Tórshavn, Faroe Islands. Email: fírouz@setur.fo.
Úrtak
I lendan greinin lýsir fýra høvuðsbólkar av monnum í
Føroyum eftir manslyndi teirra og sambandinum mill-
um mansíyrimyndir og (lut)mentanarligan kapital. Við
at nýta egið tilfar ífá kanningararbeiði (2003-04), um-
framt leysar lýsingar av ungum monnum úr miðlunum,
er ætlan mín at kanna sereyðkennini í stilunum og
samleikunum hjá føroyskum dreingjum viðvíkjandi
‘maskulinitetum’. Seinastu árini er áhugin fyri at
granska menn, mentan teirra og (nýggjar) maskulini-
tetir vaksin nógv, og er hetta ein endurspegling av broyt-
ingunum í kynskjakinum, eintáttaðu lýsingunum av
kynsmunum og fatan samfelagsins av monnum og
kvinnum, dreingjum og gentum. Greinin gevur eitt íkast
til ástøðilig kjak og hugsanir um hvørjir ‘røttu’ menninir
eru: hvussu verða teir allýstir, váttaðir og hvør er
samfelagsstøða teirra? Spurningurin hevur við sær fylgj-
andi: í hvønn mun stuðla ‘macho’ og ‘maskulin’ virði
mentanarliga kapital ungdómsins?
Abstract
This article presents four essential categories of young
men in the Faroe Islands emphasising types of mascu-
linity and the relation between male ideals and (sub)-
cultural capital. Using data from own fieldwork (2003-
04) as well as popular media portrayals of young men
I intend to trace major characteristics regarding styles
and identities of Faroese men in rclation to ‘mascu-
linities’. During the last years thc interest in research
on men, their culture and (new) masculinities has
increased steadily, reflecting changes in genderdiscour-
ses, gender stereotypes and society’s representation of
men and women, boys and girls. This paper contributes
to theoretical debates and reflections on who the ‘real’
men are: how are they defined, recognized and socially
positioned? This questions leads to the following: in
what degree do ‘macho’ and ‘masculine’ values contri-
bute to young men’s cultural capital?
Introduction
Maður is the Faroese term for man, and ‘ein
rættur maður’ is a ‘real man’ - a common
way of defíning men and masculinities.
Masculinity has to do with ‘manliness’, the
characteristics of an adult male, while
‘machismo’ is the strong (or exaggerated)
“sense of masculinity stressing attributes
such as physical courage, virility, domi-
nation of women, and aggressiveness” (Far-
lex, 2005). Being virile, energetic, and ‘un-
tamed’ by culture are essential traits of some
Fróðskaparrit 54. bók 2006: 42-61