VIOLENT EXTREMISM AND MASCULINITY: A CASE STUDY OF PAKISTAN

Abstract

Masculinity is the socially constructed idea to define a man and in male dominated conventional/tribal societies it is constructed and (mis)used by different groups; right wing fundamentalist to extremists and terrorists. Empirical studies suggest that only a handful of men actively participate in violent extremism however, the majority of violent extremists are men. Fundamentalist and extremist tendencies in any society are stimulated by any existing or possible threat of emasculation and shift of power. In case of Pakistan, it is observed that male-dominated social and political institutions hardly investigate how the masculinity not only forms the decision-making bodies but also the approaches to countering extremism and militantism. Though reluctantly but it has become imperative for the state and society to embrace globalization that resulted into changing gender roles, social values and norms that in turn challenges the established authorities’ interpretation of religious text and cultural understanding. It leads them to defend and advocate the conventional practices more aggressively and that further accelerate violent extremist trends in the society. The regional setup has also contributed in promoting extremist violent tendencies directly linked with masculinity. This paper is aimed to investigate the question of masculine violence, its roots and victims in Pakistan.