Superior, violent and aggressive : hegemonic masculinity in Arabic music videos

Abstract EN

-Free access to music videos on YouTube has allowed generations of consumers to be exposed to songs from their favorite artists on a daily basis.

Presented in the form of music videos, these songs contain visuals that carry several themes including the glorification of violence and the dominance of men over women (Sherman and Dominick 1986), and the sexual objectification of women (Kozman et al.

2021).

The effects of this exposure on people have been shown to affect day to day attitudes and behaviors, especially among the youth (Johnson et al.

1995).

Although Western music videos have been the subject of numerous research studies, research on Arabic music videos is nearly non-existent.

This study sought to examine the prevalence of the violence and aggression of men in Arabic music videos using Gramsci’s theory of hegemonic masculinity.

The study performed a qualitative textual analysis on a sample of 10 Arabic music videos that are popular for containing instances of violence and supremacy of men.

The analysis returned three themes that reflect basic tenets of hegemonic masculinity: the patriarchal values and superiority of men, female subordination, and violent behavior.