| Summary: | It is a common-held belief that the social worker for the most part uses oneself as a “tool” in working with clients. This study seeks to examine that “tool” in the context of treatment of teenage boys with psychosocial problems such as criminal behavior, drug-abuse and/or abusive home environment. The main purpose is to identify the conceptions of masculinity, and more specific hegemonic and subordinated masculinity, of the professionals working with the boys. We will take a constructivist approach on masculinity which means that the meaning of the concept isn’t static but dependent on time and place and changeable in the interaction between people. The theoretical base for the purpose, questions and analysis of our study lies on R.W Connell’s theory on the hierarchy of masculinities. Connell states that multiple masculinities are constructed among us that relates to one another in a hierarchical order measured by the content of hegemonic masculinity, which is defined as the culturally and socially accepted ideal of being a man, as defined at a certain time or place. The study seeks mainly to find and problematize the type of hegemonic and subordinated masculinity that could be constructed in the treatment area of adolescent boys, and are based on in-depth interview with six therapy assistants from one institution in southern Sweden. Our study finds that the hegemonic masculinity consists of the following characteristics: sensitivity, reliability, mental strength, honesty, stability and the ability to build relationships and with competence in boundary setting, which could be summarized as a macho-soft masculinity with an emphasize on soft. The subordinate masculinity consists of the following characteristics in a man: sexist, homosexual, immigrant and violent.
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