Vilakazi, Zinhle2025-03-042019Vilakazi, Zinhle. (2019). Men, Masculinity, Aggression and Dominance: An Exploration of How Young Men are Socialized to Deal with Situations of Man-on-Man Aggression and Dominance [Masters dissertation, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg].WIReDSpace. https://hdl.handle.net/10539/44071https://hdl.handle.net/10539/44071A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Master of Arts, Faculty of Humanities, Wits School of Arts, at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2019There is a considerable body of research placing young South African men at the core of interpersonal violence. Within these studies they are frequently positioned as both perpetrators and victims of extreme and homicidal modes of aggression. In light of this gendered nature of interpersonal violence, this study was directed at exploring how young men’s responses to a situation of man-on-man aggression and dominance might be linked to how society encourages or expects a certain masculine performance from men in such situations. This study’s secondary goal was to offer some ideas about how young men might establish a masculine identity through aggression and dominance. In the pursuing research aims, a total of 14 young adult men attending university participated in this qualitative study. From the analysis what became evident was the continuous pressure that young adult men experience in society, through various social institutions, to somehow fit into dominant or hegemonic constructions of masculinity. Within the context of this study, the proximal cause of aggression and dominance was attributed to broader concerns regarding presentation of a masculine identity, self-worth and social status.en© 2019 University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.Masculine identitygender socializationidentity developmentaggression and dominanceinterpersonal violencehegemonic masculinityUCTDSDG-16: Peace, justice and strong institutionsDissertationUniversity of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg