It’s a matter of eating or being eaten : gender positioning and difference making in the heavy metal subculture

• The purpose of this article is to study how gender difference and ultimately female gender positioning are created and manifested in the heavy metal culture. The empirical material consists of single interviews and focus group interviews with heavy metal fans between the ages of 18 and 26. The overall finding is that, while gender is a movable position in general, women move their gender position to a greater extent than men as they are constantly forced to adhere to the male values of the heavy metal culture. Three dualities in the positioning of heavy metal women illustrate to this phenomenon: a whore-goddess paradigm based on the knowledge of the female heavy metal fan; the balancing act of “acting male” and “looking female”; and the gender “twilight zone” of being insufficiently male for heavy metal culture while being insufficiently female for the mainstream world.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Sociologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Sociology (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Annan samhällsvetenskap -- Genusstudier (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Other Social Sciences -- Gender Studies (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

gender

heavy metal

positioning

difference

representation

Sociologi

Sociology

Humaniora-samhällsvetenskap

Publikations- och innehållstyp

vet (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)