Restoring masculinity: Putin and Trump LSE Research Online URL for this paper: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/101146/ Version: Accepted Version Article: Ashwin, Sarah and Utrata, Jennifer (2020) Restoring masculinity: Putin and Trump. Contexts, 19 (2). ISSN 1536-5042 Reuse Items deposited in LSE Research Online are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved unless indicated otherwise. They may be downloaded and/or printed for private study, or other acts as permitted by national copyright laws. The publisher or other rights holders may allow further reproduction and re-use of the full text version. This is indicated by the licence information on the LSE Research Online record for the item.
[email protected] https://eprints.lse.ac.uk/ Sarah Ashwin and Jennifer Utrata Contexts draft feature, 13 May 2019 “Revenge of the Lost Men: From Putin’s Russia to Trump’s America” A major legacy of the Soviet Union is the overburdening of Russian women and demoralization of men. Putin uses hypermasculinity to appeal to these men. Is Trump stealing from Putin’s playbook in wielding masculine bravado as a tool of state power? We may be witnessing a remasculinization of both countries, as gendered performances continue to galvanize waves of populism worldwide. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Since his inauguration U.S. President Donald Trump has been dogged by accusations regarding his relationship with Russia, culminating in the recent Mueller investigation. What appears to endure throughout the tumultuous news cycle is the tight relationship between President Trump and Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin. Given Cold War legacies of distrust, this unconventional “bromance” between the two world leaders may seem puzzling.