Negotiating Masculinities: Yolngu Boy

Abstract

Concern with issues about masculinity has not only spread to many countries, but also into many fields. Health services are noticing the relevance of men's gender to problems ... Educators are discussing ... programs for boys... Criminologists have begun to explore why boys' and men dominate the crime statistics, and violence prevention programs are taking increasing notice of gender issues ... [T]he intellectual debate about masculinity now has practical consequences. How we understand men and gender, what we believe about masculinity what we know (or think we know) about the development of boys, may have large effects--for good or ill--in therapy, education, health services, violence prevention, policing and social services. (1)This paper questions how far the kind of textuality found in a feature film might contribute to debates about masculinities and whether films can usefully be co-opted for the project of social change. According to masculinity theorist, Bob Connell, we can identify 'historical moments' that are informed by the possibility of social transformation of gender regimes and practices. My argument here is that the film Yolngu Boy (Stephen Johnston, 2000) should be sited in such a 'moment' and, furthermore, that it should be read in the context of social and institutional discourses concerning Indigenous cultures, health, education and violence.