White men speaking : an exploration of intersections, tensions and alternative ways of being white and a man in South Africa

Abstract

It is becoming widely recognised that those at the centres of power are also responsible for social transformation. In South Africa, white men still dominate these centres. Some white men have recognised this and have taken on the task of confronting their prejudice and acknowledging their privilege, in order to forge more transformative ways of being a white man in South Africa. These ways of being, however, remain marginal. Hegemonic masculinities and whiteness continue to dominate South African society, hampering transformation. In order to counter these hegemonic ways of being, alternatives need to be actively engaged and emboldened. This can be achieved partly by disaggregating narratives of masculinity and whiteness, as neither are homogenous. In so doing, dominant discourse is challenged and a more robust discursive space for alternative ways of being is allowed to emerge.