Protective masculinity: theorising "masculine care"

The concept of protective masculinity is an emerging and increasingly influential framework within critical studies on men and masculinities (CSMM). Initially developed within political theory, it draws upon Iris Marion Young’s notion of the logic of masculinist protection and Carol Johnson’s work on gendered politics and protectionism. In its early formulations, the concept was used to critique the patriarchal underpinnings of state power, military discourse, and nationalist narratives that position men as benevolent protectors and women as vulnerable subjects. Over the past decade, the concept has travelled beyond its political science origins, being taken up and further theorised within sociology, anthropology, and gender studies, thus becoming a transdisciplinary and “travelling” concept. At its core, protective masculinity challenges the assumption, advanced by scholars such as Joan Tronto, that protection may be viewed as a masculine counterpart to care. Instead, it insists on a crucial analytical distinction between care and protection: while care entails reciprocity, empathy, and relational ethics, protection is inherently tied to hierarchies of power, domination, and subordination. Protective practices, whether physical, financial, or symbolic, reinforce men’s position as guardians and decision-makers, thereby reproducing traditional gender hierarchies and sustaining hegemonic masculinities in both private and public domains. This paper revisits and expands the notion of protective masculinity, mapping its theoretical evolution and contemporary applications across disciplinary boundaries. It identifies three core dimensions of the concept: physical protection (linked to security, control, and bodily risk), financial protection (connected to male breadwinning and economic authority), and protection of male privilege (the safeguarding of patriarchal dividend). The paper argues that these forms of protection are performative acts that reproduce gendered power structures and sustain the legitimacy of men’s dominance. Finally, it explores the relevance of protective masculinity for analysing political masculinities in contemporary contexts marked by populism, nationalism, and resurgent patriarchal politics. Empirically, the paper is based on the findings of several research projects on men and masculinities in the European context, including research on fatherhood activism in Europe, single migrant men and the EU, and care during the COVID-19 pandemic.