A criticism of affiliation forms of gender informed/pro-feminist men with women

Social construction of masculinity is performed in a life-time period from babyhood within the practices of certain rituals and socialization processes. Circumcision, position in the family, friendship relations at school, puberty, work life, involvement in emotional and sexual relationships result in the development of both shared and individual experiences for every single agent. Besides, cultural elements create altering types of masculinity on one side while being distanced from the traditional and being modernized on the other side. For instance, post-natal circumcision at hospitals instead of circumcision celebrations, ceremonies, etc. or the transformation of military service with the shortening of the duration of military service or implementations such as paid military service affects the relation of the individual with the social structure. But, how much does the modernization of masculinity in this respect has an impact on the elimination of gender inequalities? This question brings us to the problem of whether masculinity will change to the detriment of patriarchy and makes us scrutinize the bond of men with patriarchy. The patriarchal structure against which feminism has been struggling is being questioned more and more gradually. Based on this, anti-systemic men have also been among the segments of the society who have been mobilized by the feminist movement. Men who fight against social inequalities oppose patriarchy by means of social activism and/or academic production and they become supporters of the feminist movement (pro-feminist). However, on the other side, the paradoxical situation which arises from the fact that men are the privileged segment of the capitalist patriarchy where sex based discrimination prevails and are regarded as perpetrators of violence against women is under dispute. In this study, the aim is to understand the transformation of normative masculinity to the detriment of patriarchy by focusing on emotional-sexual relationships as the crystallizing point of the relation between masculinity practices and patriarchy. Within this frame, a theoretical discussion of patriarchy and pro-feminism literature is made and data from in-depth interviews with heterosexual men who define themselves as dissidents/(pro)feminists supporting gender equality is analysed. Keywords: Patriarchy, Masculinities, Pro-feminism, Critical Men and Masculinities Studies, Feminist Theory