The study of the representation of symbolic identiy of men in the magazines of GQ, Esquire and Men's Health, within the context of the construction of hegemonic masculinity

The term hegemonic masculinity was born as a result of the hegemony set by gender upon men, which has been examined since the beginning of the second feminist wave and has been influential on the emergence of the field of Masculinity Studies. According to the studies conducted in this field, it is not possible to talk about a single type of masulinity, while there are also other masculinities other than hegemonic masculinity. Men's lifestyle magazines, not only function as builders of modern and new identities of men through advertisements and the discourses they produce, but also encorage them to have consumption-wise and luxurious lifestyles. These magazines which pursue the goal of guiding men, are elements of consumption in which it is possible to clearly observe the idealised masculinity, as well as the symbolic identities of men. In this study, the way the hegemonic masculinity and the symbolic identities of men are built and represented is analyzed, through the discourses in men's magazines. The samples of the study, which are the texts included in the 18 issues of men's magazines GQ, Esquire and Men's Health, printed between 2013-2018, were analyzed by the use of the critical discourse analysis method of Teun A. van Dijk. According to the findings of the research, men's magazines reinforce hegemonic masculinity and rebuild it through the method of discourse. All men's identities included in men's magazines are changing identities which are formed around the axis of consumption. Discourses presented in magazines, advise ways to reach the imagined form of masulinity, confirming that the fight for masculinity is continuously proceeding within the terms of gender.