White masculinity in the death zone: transformations of colonial identities in the Himalayas

The following article examines relations between masculinity and whiteness in the context of the Swiss Everest expeditions of 1952. It shows how in the mountaineering literature of the time, the so-called ‘death zone’ (beyond 8000 metres of altitude) turns into an arena for a hegemonic masculinity i...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Purtschert, Patricia (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Taylor and Francis Group 2020
In: Culture and religion
Year: 2020, Volume: 21, Issue: 1, Pages: 31-42
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Lambert, Raymond 1914-1997 / Tenzing Norkey 1914-1986 / Male friendship / Cultural identity / Masculinity / Colonialism / Himalaya / Expedition / Geschichte 1952
RelBib Classification:AD Sociology of religion; religious policy
ZB Sociology
ZC Politics in general
ZD Psychology
Further subjects:B Masculinity
B Colonialism
B Everest
B Race
B Mountaineering
B Gender
B Himalaya
B Whiteness
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Description
Summary:The following article examines relations between masculinity and whiteness in the context of the Swiss Everest expeditions of 1952. It shows how in the mountaineering literature of the time, the so-called ‘death zone’ (beyond 8000 metres of altitude) turns into an arena for a hegemonic masculinity in crisis. This crisis encompasses ‘traditional’ elements of hegemonic Western masculinity, which is based on the abjection of the body, the emotional and the irrational. In times of decolonisation, it further comprises the collapse of imperial power and the invention of postcolonial relations between white and non-white men. As this article shows, this novel iconography of male relationality evokes images of partnership while it is still based on racial inequality.
ISSN:1475-5629
Contains:Enthalten in: Culture and religion
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1080/14755610.2020.1858546