GENDER IN EQUESTRIA: AN EXAMINATION OF RECONSTITUTED FORMS OF MASCULINITY AND THEIR CONSEQUENCES FOR GENDER RELATIONS IN THE BRONY COMMUNITY by Zachary D. Palmer A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of Purdue University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Sociology West Lafayette, Indiana May 2019 2 THE PURDUE UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL STATEMENT OF COMMITTEE APPROVAL Dr. Linda Renzulli, Chair Department of Sociology Dr. Rachel Einwohner Department of Sociology Dr. Carolyn Perrucci Department of Sociology Dr. Jo Reger Department of Sociology, Oakland University Approved by: Dr. Shawn Bauldry Head of the Graduate Program 3 For my son, Avi. You didn’t help enough to make it into the acknowledgements, but everything I do is for you. 4 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I want to thank the educators who guided and influenced me along the way. In particular, Elaine McDuff and Rachel Kraus, both of whom made me the sociologist I am today. I admire both so much and truly would not be where I am without them. I must also mention Melinda Messineo, in whose cultural sociology class I came up with the idea of studying Bronies, and Jack Spencer, the first person to suggest that it might be an interesting dissertation topic. And, of course, my committee members, Linda Renzulli, Rachel Einwohner, Carolyn Perrucci, and Jo Reger did so much to help shape this dissertation. Linda especially stepped in at a critical time and did so much to see me through to the end. This dissertation would not have been possible without the help and support of Preethi Krishnan, Vasundhara Kaul, and Lori Lundell, who were there with me through the best and worst of graduate school. Work parties with Abbey Nawrocki and Elle Rochford were also instrumental in getting me unstuck multiple times in the writing process. Finally, my family made this all possible in more ways than one. My parents encouraged me every step of the way and listened to me talk through my ideas over the phone (and, sometimes, listened to me read entire chapters out loud). My wife, Kelly, moved to Indiana for seven years for this and has been instrumental in helping me get to where I am now. I’m sure she’s as thrilled that I’m finished with this as I am. 5 TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................... 7 CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 8 Studying Power and Privilege ................................................................................................... 11 Examining Privilege: Men and Masculinities ....................................................................... 12 Men’s Responses to Societal Shifts ...................................................................................... 13 The Case ................................................................................................................................... 19 Outline of Dissertation Chapters ............................................................................................... 24 CHAPTER 2. DATA AND METHODS ...................................................................................... 26 Semi-Structured Interviews ...................................................................................................... 27 Sampling Strategy and Recruitment ................................................................................. 27 Interview Process and Overview of Participants .............................................................. 28 Ethnographic Observations ....................................................................................................... 29 Selection of Sites............................................................................................................... 30 Field Logistics ................................................................................................................... 32 Position as a Researcher ........................................................................................................... 33 Analytic Strategy ...................................................................................................................... 36 CHAPTER 3. “IT’S SOMETHING I WEAR ON MY HEART”: ............................................... 37 MY LITTLE PONY AND THE MULTIPLE MEANINGS OF RECONSTITUTED FORMS OF MASCULINITY ........................................................................................................................... 37 Making Sense of My Little Pony ............................................................................................... 37 Competing Theories of Masculinity ......................................................................................... 38 Analysis: Patterns of Men’s Involvement with My Little Pony and their Consequences ......... 42 Deep Investment ................................................................................................................... 43 Catalyst for Involvement: Emotional Need or Crisis ........................................................ 43 Transformation of Self ...................................................................................................... 47 Superficial Engagement ........................................................................................................ 51 Catalyst for Involvement: Entertainment .......................................................................... 52 Transformation of the Show ............................................................................................. 53 Perspectives on Gender ......................................................................................................... 58 6 Deep Investment: Gender Consciousness ......................................................................... 58 Superficial Engagement: Gender Backlash ...................................................................... 64 Relationship Between Deep Investment and Superficial Engagement ................................. 69 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 71 CHAPTER 4. “I DON’T LIKE TO SEPARATE MYSELF BY GENDER”: WOMEN’S UNDERSTANDINGS OF GENDER AND GENDER PRACTICES IN THE BRONY COMMUNITY ............................................................................................................................. 73 Accounting for Women in Theories of Reconstituted Masculinity .......................................... 74 Context: Women in the Brony Community .............................................................................. 78 Analysis: Women’s Sense-Making and Gender Practices in the Brony Community ............... 79 Competing Ways of Understanding Community .................................................................. 80 Recognizing Gendered Patterns of Discomfort and Marginalization ............................... 81 Valorizing Men ................................................................................................................. 86 Salience of Gender in Women’s Identities as Bronies ...................................................... 91 Challenging and Maintaining Power Relations .................................................................... 92 Cosplay ............................................................................................................................. 93 Creating Space .................................................................................................................. 96 Becoming ‘Horse Famous’ ............................................................................................... 98 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 100 CHAPTER 5. RELATIONS OF HYBRIDITY AND THE RESHAPING OF PRIVILEGE .... 102 Relations of Hybridity ............................................................................................................ 103 Concealing Inequality, Shifting the Conversation about Gender ....................................... 104 Contesting Masculinity, Challenging Power Relations ...................................................... 107 Theoretical Implications ......................................................................................................... 109 REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................... 113 APPENDIX A. INTERVIEW PROTOCOL............................................................................... 121 APPENDIX B. PROFILE OF PARTICIPANTS........................................................................ 124 7 ABSTRACT Author: Palmer, Zachary, D. PhD Institution: Purdue University Degree Received: May 2019 Title: Gender in Equestria: An Examination of Reconstituted Forms of Masculinity and their Consequences for Gender Relations in the Brony Community Committee Chair: Linda Renzulli In this dissertation, I analyze the Brony community to better understand reconstituted forms of masculinity. Specifically, I focus on the following questions: What does it mean when men incorporate what has traditionally been viewed as stigmatized or feminine into their gender presentations? How do these forms of masculinity