Girly guys? Metro sexual or merely middle-class?

Attitudinal trends show a clear retreat from strongly held positions on gender roles and identities - but a move to non-committal rather than radical positions

Meanwhile, among young men, the emergence of some new consumption practises (the use of skincare products, for example) has been taken by some to signal fundamental changes in young men's sense of gender identity.

Arguably, many research-based representations of modern masculinity fall prey to a popular myth - that 'non-traditional' (often simply more middle-class) practises constitute feminisation, and hence a crisis of masculinity.

Yet this is a fundamental misreading of the situation - young male identity, for most, remains rooted in heterosexual maleness; regardless of the fact that this is now integrated with appearance-consciousness, a more balanced set of providing / caring roles and life in mixed-gender workplaces and peer groups

Save ideas like feminisation and metro sexuality for comedy routines.

Marketing Week 22 May 2008