<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p> This article explores the ways in which older Czech men construct their masculine identities. Profiting from the personal memories of individuals who witnessed dramatic social changes in 20<sup>th</sup> century Czechoslovakia, the study draws on eight oral narratives that focus on the period of older men’s youth but also encompass their adult and later lives. The article identifies five recurrent themes through which older men construct their identities and discusses these outcomes in relation to the debate concerning the nature of gender order in the contemporary Czech Republic. It demonstrates the attachment of older men to the patriarchal masculine models of their youth, which are presented as masculine ideals, but also depicts their reservations towards such models. These reservations, however, do not cause older men to argue in favour of greater equality for women.</p></abstract>

This article explores the ways in which older Czech men construct their masculine identities. Profiting from the personal memories of individuals who witnessed dramatic social changes in 20th century Czechoslovakia, the study draws on eight oral narratives that focus on the period of older men’s youth but also encompass their adult and later lives. The article identifies five recurrent themes through which older men construct their identities and discusses these outcomes in relation to the debate concerning the nature of gender order in the contemporary Czech Republic. It demonstrates the attachment of older men to the patriarchal masculine models of their youth, which are presented as masculine ideals, but also depicts their reservations towards such models. These reservations, however, do not cause older men to argue in favour of greater equality for women.

“The Meaning of His Life Was Work”: The Construction of Identities in the Oral Narratives of Older Czech Men

Palacký University Olomouc, Department of History Křížkovského 10, 771 80 Olomouc,

Gender Studies

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

This article explores the ways in which older Czech men construct their masculine identities. Profiting from the personal memories of individuals who witnessed...

“The Meaning of His Life Was Work”: The Construction of Identities in the Oral Narratives of Older Czech Men

Published Online: Mar 14, 2017

Page range: 104 - 138

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/genst-2017-0008

Keywords
Czech, gender, identities, masculinity, older men, oral history, 20th century

© by Radmila Švaříčková Slabáková

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

“The Meaning of His Life Was Work”: The Construction of Identities in the Oral Narratives of Older Czech Men

Published Online: Mar 14, 2017

Page range: 104 - 138

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/genst-2017-0008

KeywordsCzech, gender, identities, masculinity, older men, oral history, 20th century

© by Radmila Švaříčková Slabáková

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Keywords
Czech, gender, identities, masculinity, older men, oral history, 20th century