Mitazamo wa vijana wa kiume wa Kenya kuhusu ubabedume mkabala wa uchanganuzi hakiki usemi

Abstract

In the youth subculture, the male youth are known to conform to masculine norms and live aoording to the masculine societal norms. The study set to examine the language the male youth use to describe and express masculinity as Well as investigate if there exist any form of masculinity crisis in the language of the youth as the talk about masculinity. The objectives of this study were to examine the linguistic features in the language of the male youth that show masculinity, describe the male youth expression and narration of masculinity in relation to societal expectations, evaluate whether there is acrisis of masculinity in the expression and conversation of the youth about masculinity. The research questions included; What linguistic features in the male youth language show masculinity? l-low do the male youth express and talk about their masculinity? Is there any form of crisis of masculinity is in the expression and conversation of the male youth on masculinity? Critical discourse analysis theory was used in the study to obtain meaning of the male youth expressions of their masculinity. The study was qualitative, an interpretivism perspective and the target population were the male youth. The data collection methods were focus group discussions and interviews while the data collection tools were a focus group discussion guide and an interview guide. The results indicate that linguistic features such as crosstalks, silence, interruptions, use of certain exclamations and specific topic of disscussions denotes masculinity. The male youth associated masculinity with providing and protecting the family, avoidance of femininity, toughness, independence and power to decision making. They acknowledged the presence of the crisis of masculinity and associated it with femininity, feminine communication styles and clothing, inability to provide and protect the family and use of suicide as a quick solution to life’s problems. Tenns such as umama, chichi, mkusle, macinderella and feminine names like Ashley as well as “men” in quotes were used to refer to the crisis of masculinity and those in crisis. Hence two categories of men: men and “men”. The results also shows that a male youth can come out of the crisis and identify himself as a man especially after rebuke and mockery from other men. This study will contribute to the existing studies and critique about the male gender in the field of pragmatics and other fields such as gender studies.