This ethnographically informed research project delves into the evolution of working-class masculinity within the context of knowledge-intensive machine industry work. This transformation is set against the backdrop of a broader shift within the capitalist system, wherein the creation of economic value increasingly hinges on the heightened utilization of individuals' cognitive, affective, and communicative capabilities.
The research's primary objective is to examine how working-class masculinity adapts in a situation where production workers are required to possess not only middle-class problem-solving and self-improvement skills but also feminized cooperative abilities.
The overarching goal of this research project is to create novel conceptual tools for gender and class analyses within the domains of work and men's studies. Furthermore, it aims to contribute to the ongoing discourse on the shifts and continuities in masculinities. Specifically, this research seeks to update, refine, and diversify the theoretical frameworks pertaining to working-class masculinities.
