"Anyone who strikes a woman is not a real man" : a qualitative content analysis of Australian masculinity, mateship and violence against women

Sammanfattning: This thesis investigates seven Questions without notice from the Australian House of Representatives regarding violence against women. The statements were produced by former prime ministers Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull. Their responses are analysed through a qualitative content analysis. The results have been interpreted through masculinity and mateship theories in order to provide a discussion of Australian masculinity, which I claim is heavily influenced by ideals of mateship. The study aims to shed light on prevention of violence against women through a redefinition of hegemonic masculinity in an Australian context. Violence against women is a human rights violation, but it can only be combated if gender equality is obtained. As Raewyn Connell’s masculinities theory shows, solely redefining hegemonic masculinity does not generate gender equality. The result of the study shows however that the prime ministers avoid the issue of gender equality to a large extent which may contribute to that violence against women remains at high rates in Australia.