Constructing Victimisation as Masculine Honour: Men and Intimate Partner Violence in Johannesburg

The literature on Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) largely presents a narrative of men as perpetrators and women as victims. This allows little attention to be paid to men as victims of IPV. Much less effort is made to understand how men’s experiences of IPV impact perceptions of their masculine subjectivities and how they respond to victimisation. Through in-depth narrative interviews, this paper reflects on the experiences of some African men and their reactions to personal conditions of abuse. The paper argues that, within the dynamic gendered environment in South Africa, where violence against women is prevalent, some victimised men associate true manliness with men’s respect for women and non-violence tendencies. The African men under discussion mobilise this ideal to construct an alternative identity, maintaining their sense of being honourable, even when the hegemonic order sees them otherwise due to their non-violent beliefs/actions. This article presents a critical yet nuanced contribution to our understanding of the dynamics of domestic violence in the South African context. It shows how some African men may respond to the challenges of their victimised identities.