‘Nobody comes to Baba for advice’: negotiating ageing masculinities in the Somali diaspora

Abstract

Based on a case-study of Somalis in Norway, this paper examines older male refugees’ seek for recognition in transnational social fields. Drawing on Honneth’s theory of intersubjective identity formation and Connell’s concept of hegemonic masculinity, it explores the ways in which they renegotiate respectable ageing masculinities within four spaces of recognition: socialisation in habitual spaces, volunteer work and associational involvement, return visits, and return migration. Habitual spaces constitute spheres where older men may gain respect for their traditional knowledge. Somali associations represent spaces allowing men to enact the prestigious role of oratorical advisors, which requires that they reinterpret this role for the new context. ‘Failed’ men negotiate social status through return visits or return migration. Older Somalis assert masculinity through ideas of class, Islam, and notions of male authority. Yet, generational-, gender-, clan-, and class divisions within the diaspora – combined with ethnic minority position- challenge the (re)construction of respectable masculinities. This article shows that a life course perspective is essential for understanding migrants’ (re-)construction of gender identities, as well as their transnational mobility and adaptation strategies. By focusing on the neglected field of ageing migrant masculinities, this article contributes to the emerging scholarships on transnational ageing and migrant masculinities.

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