The Colors of Masculinity: Experiences of Power and Intersectionality in Nuestra América

Abstract

This article proposes that masculinity in Colombia can be better understood by examining the extent to which masculine norms, positions, and identities are relative and shaped by the interactions between class, color, race, and region. To do this, I outline theoretical positions that have informed my research on the gender experiences of men in Colombia. Ideas put forward by Black Feminism, and concepts such as Nuestra América (Our America), Amefricanidade, and intersectionality have allowed me to understand the different “colors” of Colombian masculinities, in a context where the overlap of racial ideologies with gender domination plays a central role.