The Presentation And Practice Of Masculinities In The Context Of Online-shopping

With the theory based on social constructionism, this thesis demonstrated the presentation and practice of masculinities in the context of online shopping, which derived from consumer culture. Through the analysis of space setting of comprehensive platforms of online shopping like Jingdong and Taobao, it is thought that online shopping space are not only imitating off-line shopping, but also creating a consumer strategy of popularization. It also built a cultural meaning of the consumer society. Thus it was regarded as a miniature of the consumer society.Commercialization of masculinities had been constructed in the online shopping context which had a complete projection of the consumer society. There are new features of masculinities in a consumer society, specifically including the sense of fashion with more feminine features, colorful youthfulness and the exposure of strength. These masculinities which conform to the presentation of the consumer culture have been breaking the norms of gender and social-culture. Therefore, there are more chances and freedom to express male’s attractiveness in the consumer society now.Since the emerging masculinities have been constructed in the context of online shopping, then how can it be reflected in the practice of young men’s online shopping? By examining the men’s specific experiences of online shopping, we found there’re two trends of masculine presentation we can conclude from the online shopping practice.Firstly, young men’s behaviors of online shopping fit the Logic of the Construction for masculinities. It can be described from the factors such as the enjoyment of private space for shopping, the release of the emotions which turned soften, confirmation of self-image. Young men were affected by these factors of construction, and it indicated that men could show a personalized masculinity which was different from their former life. These changes reflect a diversity of masculinities in the consumer culture.Secondly, when loyalty was embodied in young men’s online shopping experiences, and when fashion has become the hallmark between the old and new masculinities, the strategy that young men try to be distanced from fashion reflects the profound impact of local cultural on the practices of masculinities.The authority of the local culture on gender qualities not only highlights the characteristics of self-control, but also blurs the diversity of masculinities in the context of online shopping. This pushes the young men into a situation that although they absorb some elements of the construction for masculinities, on the whole there are still traditional masculinities presented in men’s online shopping practice around the consumer society.