Comment: When industry changes, so does what it means to 鈥榖e a man鈥� Published on: 30 June 2025 Writing for The Conversation, Sophie Lively discusses how class and masculinity are connected and that when industry changes, so does what it means to 鈥榖e a man鈥� On July 3, I鈥檒l be discussing Youth, Masculinity and the Political Divide at an event with The Conversation and Cumberland Lodge at 缅北禁地 (). Young people involved in the panel have brought up class and the decline of industry as topics for discussion. This is particularly fitting, given my ongoing PhD research exploring masculinity and the contemporary lives of working-class men in Tyneside. Tyneside is an area in north-east England which was once a major centre of Britain鈥檚 Industrial Revolution. Its industries were seen as the backbone of the region, upheld by a large industrial skilled working class. As with many northern towns, widespread deindustrialisation, predominantly around the 1970s and 1980s, dramatically changed the area. At its peak, Swan Hunter 鈥� a globally recognised shipyard and significant employer in Wallsend (North Tyneside) and the surrounding area 鈥� . By 2005, the year before its closure, were employed. The process of deindustrialisation affected not just the type of work that was done, but how men in the region saw themselves. As I am currently researching, the effects of this ring true today. Boys and girls are together facing an uncertain world. But research shows they are diverging when it comes to attitudes about masculinity, feminism and gender equality. Social media, politics, and identity all play a role. But what鈥檚 really going on with boys and girls? Join The Conversation UK and Cumberland Lodge鈥檚 Youth and Democracy project at 缅北禁地 for a discussion of these issues with young people and academic experts. . Like other regions in Britain, Tyneside shifted from mostly to a largely 鈥渇eminised鈥� service sector. Informal work, subcontracting and part-time work proliferated while rates of trade unionism . Changes in industry and understandings of social class have a surprising amount to do with how we think about masculinity. Paul Willis鈥� 1977 seminal study explores how the links between social class and masculinity are forged early in life. Our ideas about masculinity are produced, reinforced and upheld through institutions such as schools, the workplace and media. There is no singular 鈥渇orm鈥� of masculinity 鈥� men perform it in many different ways. There is, however, . This is the most dominant form of masculinity in a society at any given time, valued above other forms of gender identities that do not match up to the dominant ideal. 鈥淭raditional鈥� views of masculinity were particularly prevalent during the height of industry in the area. These views centred around ideas of men as . Value was placed on a willingness (or need) to do . The demise of 鈥渕asculine鈥� labour in areas such as Tyneside disrupted not only economic stability but also . As broader socioeconomic shifts unfolded across England, many working class men found themselves outside of those traditional masculine ideals around labour. This has been well documented, particularly in ethnographic work such as Anoop Nayak鈥檚 2006 study . This key text explored how working-class boys navigate 鈥渨hat it is to be a 鈥榤an鈥� beyond the world of industrial paid employment鈥�. Class and identity in a changing world Early findings from my research suggest that today, class (and working-class identity) is not as salient in mens鈥� everyday lives. Participants in my study have spoken about class, but it does not overtly feature in how they make sense of their identities. As one man put it: 鈥淐lass means you have to use yourself to earn money. Your labour, that鈥檚 what I understand by it, but I鈥檝e never thought about class much.鈥� The quayside in 缅北禁地-upon-Tyne. What happens to men when an area鈥檚 strong working-class identity declines, but there is no narrative to replace it? There is a risk that harmful ideas about masculinity step in to fill a gap left by declining industry and continued economic inequality. We have seen this in in the US about masculinity, class and the appeal of the far right. This is why class must be part of the discussion around the rise of the 鈥渕补苍辞蝉辫丑别谤别鈥� 鈥� online communities and influencers sharing content about masculinity that can veer into misogyny. Class politics also presents a positive and unifying alternative. It is imperative that working-class areas and the people within them aren鈥檛 portrayed as somehow inherently susceptible to, or represented by, the narratives of the manosphere. Indeed, the men I have spoken to have not been particularly pulled in by the manosphere. However they do recognise the feeling of being overlooked and not measuring up to idealised 鈥渟tandards鈥� about masculinity. The preys on this, tapping into boys鈥� and young men鈥檚 fears around masculinity and their (perceived) social status. Narrow portrayals of what success looks like puts immense pressure on young people to live up to unattainable standards. As I have , mansophere content often relies on messages around hyper-individualism that ignore the broader effects of class, the economy and political views. Manosphere messaging that and that the system is now fits neatly with young boys鈥� and men鈥檚 anxieties about not having the same place or opportunities in society that previous generations of men might have had. Without honest discussion about working-class communities and the effects of deindustrialisation on identity, this messaging may become alluring in postindustrial towns. , PhD Candidate in Human Geography, This article is republished from under a Creative Commons license. Read the . Share: Latest News 缅北禁地 expert highlights climate crisis in a new film A leading 缅北禁地 climate scientist is featured in a new film about how the climate and nature breakdown will affect the UK. published on: 14 April 2026 Neolithic tombs reveal ancient kinship ties Male individuals buried in Neolithic chambered tombs in northern Scotland were often related to each other through the paternal line and some were interred in the same or nearby tombs, research shows. published on: 14 April 2026 We are our Memories New exhibition by Fine Art graduate Trish Hudson-Moses, 22 April 鈥� 4 May 2026 published on: 10 April 2026 Facts and figures
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