Virtual togetherness e politica della maschilità: uno studio empirico sui gruppi di uomini negli ambienti digitali

Abstract

The article focuses on the relationship between digital environments and the politics of masculinity. This phenomenon is less explored in Italy than in the English-speaking areas, and includes associations of men that are interested in discussing about issues that are generally connected to masculinity (e.g. violence against women, fatherhood, etc.). So far, the relationship has been studied especially in the case of fathers’ rights groups (Deriu, 2007; Petti and Stagi, 2015), but it also concerns other collective experiences (Ciccone, 2020). In recent years, a growing number of men talk, share and discuss their personal experiences of masculinity – in a progressive or conservative sense – on websites, blogs and mailing lists. The aim of the article is not only to look at the discursive repertoires related to men’s lives, but also to compare and analyse the online activities of two groups of Italian men. These experiences have been selected because they exemplify the main articulations of Italian politics of masculinity: Maschile in gioco(Masculine at the play) is located in Rome and belongs to the Maschile Plurale(Plural Masculinities) network; it can be seen as an example of a profeminist group; Campo maschile(Masculine field) is based in Brescia and works in continuity with the Maschi Selvatici(Wild Men) association, as well as American mythopoetic movements. Both groups are involved in offline and online activities. Focusing on digital environments, this study relies on twenty-one individual interviews exploring the ways in which men groups engage on mailing lists, via Google Group, and through Whatsapp groups.