Karen Mardones-Leiva, Pamela Vaccari-Jiménez

Gender Violence, in Check? in Chilean Universities

Introduction

Gender violence, in check? in chilean universities. Explore gender violence in Chilean universities post-2018 feminist movements. Student discourses reveal male violence is learned, impacting young male identity and behavior.

Abstract

In a context in which gender equality in higher education in Chile is becoming institutionalised, after the university feminist mobilisations of 2018, it is important to study the discourses of young university students of both sexes on the themes of violence and masculinity. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were applied to 9 female and 9 male students, and two workshop sessions were held with 9 female and 4 male students. In total, 31 students on different courses in different universities in Valdivia, Chile, took part. The discourses affirm that male violence is not natural, but learnt during differentiated socialisation, when boys of all ages gradually incorporate it as an attribute of masculinity. The explosion of feminism in the universities has led to violence against women becoming problematised and rejected. The same has occurred to a lesser degree with violence between males, which is still normalised and justified; and with self-inflicted violence by males, resulting in the appearance of a tension in male students between the presence and absence of self-care. The results indicate a weakening of violence as the articulating axis of young male identity in university students.

Review

This paper addresses a highly pertinent and timely topic, exploring the discourses of university students on gender violence and masculinity within the context of institutionalizing gender equality in Chilean higher education post-2018 feminist mobilizations. The qualitative methodology, involving semi-structured interviews and workshop sessions with 31 students in Valdivia, offers rich insights into evolving perceptions. Key findings, such as the understanding of male violence as learned rather than natural and its increased problematisation due to feminism, provide crucial perspectives. The identification of a 'weakening of violence as the articulating axis of young male identity' is a particularly significant and hopeful contribution, suggesting a positive shift in student attitudes. While the qualitative approach provides valuable depth, the sample size of 31 students from a single city may limit the generalisability of the findings to the broader Chilean university context. Future research could explore regional variations or incorporate a larger sample to enhance external validity. Furthermore, while the abstract highlights the continued normalisation of violence between males and the tension surrounding self-inflicted violence, a deeper theoretical engagement with the specific mechanisms perpetuating these aspects, and a more detailed unpacking of the 'presence and absence of self-care' would enrich the analysis. Clarifying what 'in check' specifically entails, as posed in the title, in light of the nuanced findings, would also strengthen the paper's implications. Overall, this paper makes a valuable and timely contribution to the scholarship on gender dynamics and masculinities in higher education, especially within the unique Chilean context. Its insights are particularly relevant for informing university policies and interventions aimed at fostering more equitable and safer environments. The research provides a compelling snapshot of current student perspectives and lays a strong foundation for future inquiry. Given its critical engagement with a complex social issue and promising findings, this work is highly commendable and warrants publication.

Full Text

Comments

You need to be logged in to post a comment.