José H. Morin

School: The University of Chicago

Major: Sociology and Gender & Sexuality

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21985/n2-ez01-pd27

Biography:

José is a fourth-year Sociology and Gender & Sexuality studies double major studying at the University of Chicago. Currently, he is finishing up his joint research project focused on out, U.S. born, second-generation immigrant queer Latinx males and the aspect of masculinity's interaction with machismo. During his time at UChicago, José has conducted many smaller qualitative sociological projects with a focus on navigating heteronormative gender spheres, and he has produced various smaller papers on sexuality and culture within different forms of media. Outside of his research, José has served in various leadership roles in student run organizations, like: MECHA, the Organization of Latin American Students, and Groove Theory Dance Crew, as well as being a mentor through the QuestBridge network. After graduation, he plans on working in Chicago in either research, HIV prevention, community organizing, or education. Afterwards, he plans on pursuing a Masters degree in either Sociology or Gender & Sexuality studies. In his free time, José likes to bake, garden, dance, and laugh with his friends.

Exploring the Closet: Reconceptualizing Machismo through Masculinity

Machismo has been treated by a lot of literature as a negative component of Latinx masculinity, rarely attempting to understand the holistic effect of its cultural implications on gender or queer individuals. This study utilizes past literature focused on reconceptualizing hegemonic masculinity, hybrid masculinity, and homomasculinity to create a framework to reconceptualize the cultural value of machismo, within U.S.-born, queer Latinx sons of immigrants. Drawing from 15 different qualitative interviews, this study examines the cultural mechanisms and creations utilized by the participants in negotiation with their visualization of machismo within Latinx communities where their sexuality is disclosed and public. These men illustrate specific strategies they have adapted in their attempts to safely navigate sexuality within the context of machismo while attempting to maintain their autonomy as queer bodies. These findings implicate that masculinities performed in different ethnic environments need to be reconceptualized and provided a diverse framework for analysis in its development in order to fully understand the relational influence they hold over queer, male presenting bodies.

References:

[1] Connell, R. W., & Messerschmidt, J. W. (2005). Hegemonic masculinity: Rethinking the concept. Gender & society, 19(6), 829-859.

[2] Ocampo, A. C. (2012). Making masculinity: Negotiations of gender presentation among Latino gay men. Latino Studies, 10(4), 448-472.  

[3] Yang, Y. (2020). What’s hegemonic about hegemonic masculinity? Legitimation and beyond. Sociological Theory, 38(4), 318-333.

What is your research topic in a nutshell?

My research topic is a closer look at machisimo through the lens of negotiations of masculinity performed by second generation immigrant, queer Latino men. My topic then attempts to utilize these observations to attempt at a reconceptualize machisimo in a similar manner masculinity has been, with the inclusion of the queer disruptions of the heteronormative.

How did you come to your research topic?

I initially posed my questions encompassing the “coming out” process and had my qualitative interviews around the topic of the action and the later results observed and experiences by participants. However, through their responses, I noticed a lot of discussion around their own autonomy, machisimo, and how they negotiate masculinity for the sake of performing heterosexuality in Latinx spaces.

Where do you see the future direction of this work leading (how might future researchers build on your work or what is left to discover in the field)?

I’m interested in seeing future work around masculinity studies, especially within sociology, attempt to consider perspectives from demographics that negotiate masculinity from external perspectives, like queer individuals, femme identifying individuals, and non-cis identifying individuals. From this research, I hope there is then more research into the complexities utilized by these groups in their interactions in daily life.

Where are you heading to after graduation?

I am currently still applying to different job applications in hope of doing something related to education or sexual health. In the future, I hope to return to graduate school and pursue a masters in either sociology or gender and sexuality studies.