Australian Community Psychologist, 2016, 28(1): 9-23 (Open access)

We examine how masculinity, specifically hyper-masculinity, is constructed from the perspective of a boy growing up within a white power motorcycle gang environment. One photo and three narratives are employed as the empirical material for analysis. The autoethnographic narratives are written in chronological order from ages 10-13 focusing on the first author’s first time experiences with violence, drugs, and sex respectively. The gang is conceptualised as a community of practice. A thematic analysis identified three key themes: the importance of hyper-masculine rites of passage in this gang community of practice; violence and intimidation as a means to an end; and the objectification of women and their positioning as inferior to men and the use of sexual coercion. Taken together, these themes illustrate how a hyper-masculine identity is developed within this context. This study contributes to research and knowledge on hyper-masculinity in the specific context of motorcycle gangs in Aotearoa New Zealand. (Authors' abstract). Record 5291