Masculinity constructed through Tofaş cars: A sociological study in Yozgat

This study explores how young men aged 18 to 35 living in the province of Yozgat, located in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey, construct their masculine identities through their relationship with Tofaş-brand automobiles. Adopting a sociological perspective, the research examines how car ownership, modification culture, and the symbolic meanings of automobiles intersect with individual and collective masculine performances. The theoretical framework of the study is grounded in Raewyn Connell's concept of hegemonic masculinity, James Messerschmidt's theory of "doing masculinity," and Bridges ve Pascoe's notion of masculine capital. A qualitative research methodology was employed, including semi-structured in-depth interviews and participant observation with 15 Tofaş car owners. The findings reveal that Tofaş cars serve not only as vehicles of transportation but also as platforms for the performance and reinforcement of masculine identities in the provincial context. Practices such as car modification, listening to loud music, and aggressive driving emerge as key elements in the expression of strength, courage, local reputation, and group solidarity. The study concludes that the Tofaş automobile operates as a cultural tool through which young men in peripheral settings like Yozgat perform, legitimize, and negotiate their masculinity. In this context, the car becomes a means of enacting and circulating gender norms and social status, making it a symbolic site of masculine expression. Thus, this research offers an original contribution to the literature by analyzing the relationship between car culture and gender within a localized socio-cultural framework.