Heteronormativity, Masculinity and Prejudice in Mobile Apps: The Case of Grindr in a Brazilian City

In this study our goal was to examine the masculinity associated to heteronormativity in a gay app from the users’ point of view, which was made through an inductive study based on semistructured interviews with app users. Main results suggest that Grindr is used as a contemporary form of sociabilit...

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Main Authors: Luiz Alex Silva Saraiva, Leonardo Tadeu dos Santos, Jefferson Rodrigues Pereira
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: FUCAPE Business School 2020-01-01
Series:BBR: Brazilian Business Review
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=123062398006
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author Luiz Alex Silva Saraiva
Leonardo Tadeu dos Santos
Jefferson Rodrigues Pereira
author_facet Luiz Alex Silva Saraiva
Leonardo Tadeu dos Santos
Jefferson Rodrigues Pereira
author_sort Luiz Alex Silva Saraiva
collection DOAJ
description In this study our goal was to examine the masculinity associated to heteronormativity in a gay app from the users’ point of view, which was made through an inductive study based on semistructured interviews with app users. Main results suggest that Grindr is used as a contemporary form of sociability, mainly because it provides comfort and distance from segregated spaces. At the same time, it allows discretion in sexual encounters, which only happen between “equals”: white, young, athletic, handsome, and not effeminate men, and all those who differ from this profile are repelled. Heteronormativity imposes a pattern of masculinity that has overwhelmed everyone indiscriminately. Those who do not fit this profile can only be resigned to a secondary role at virtual community. Thus, technologies like this can aggravate marginalization of those already on the society fringes if forms of sociability continue to reproduce the oppression of prevailing heteronormativity.
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institution Kabale University
issn 1807-734X
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publishDate 2020-01-01
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series BBR: Brazilian Business Review
spelling doaj-art-3510d36752fe412ab98243a08e9194c12025-02-06T23:39:32ZengFUCAPE Business SchoolBBR: Brazilian Business Review1807-734X2020-01-0117111413110.15728/bbr.2020.17.1.6Heteronormativity, Masculinity and Prejudice in Mobile Apps: The Case of Grindr in a Brazilian CityLuiz Alex Silva SaraivaLeonardo Tadeu dos SantosJefferson Rodrigues PereiraIn this study our goal was to examine the masculinity associated to heteronormativity in a gay app from the users’ point of view, which was made through an inductive study based on semistructured interviews with app users. Main results suggest that Grindr is used as a contemporary form of sociability, mainly because it provides comfort and distance from segregated spaces. At the same time, it allows discretion in sexual encounters, which only happen between “equals”: white, young, athletic, handsome, and not effeminate men, and all those who differ from this profile are repelled. Heteronormativity imposes a pattern of masculinity that has overwhelmed everyone indiscriminately. Those who do not fit this profile can only be resigned to a secondary role at virtual community. Thus, technologies like this can aggravate marginalization of those already on the society fringes if forms of sociability continue to reproduce the oppression of prevailing heteronormativity.http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=123062398006heteronormativitymasculinityprejudicegaytechnologies
spellingShingle Luiz Alex Silva Saraiva
Leonardo Tadeu dos Santos
Jefferson Rodrigues Pereira
Heteronormativity, Masculinity and Prejudice in Mobile Apps: The Case of Grindr in a Brazilian City
BBR: Brazilian Business Review
heteronormativity
masculinity
prejudice
gay
technologies
title Heteronormativity, Masculinity and Prejudice in Mobile Apps: The Case of Grindr in a Brazilian City
title_full Heteronormativity, Masculinity and Prejudice in Mobile Apps: The Case of Grindr in a Brazilian City
title_fullStr Heteronormativity, Masculinity and Prejudice in Mobile Apps: The Case of Grindr in a Brazilian City
title_full_unstemmed Heteronormativity, Masculinity and Prejudice in Mobile Apps: The Case of Grindr in a Brazilian City
title_short Heteronormativity, Masculinity and Prejudice in Mobile Apps: The Case of Grindr in a Brazilian City
title_sort heteronormativity masculinity and prejudice in mobile apps the case of grindr in a brazilian city
topic heteronormativity
masculinity
prejudice
gay
technologies
url http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=123062398006
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AT jeffersonrodriguespereira heteronormativitymasculinityandprejudiceinmobileappsthecaseofgrindrinabraziliancity