Men’s masks of violence. The visual sociology of gangs in Mexico

Abstract

This article presents an ethnographic and visual reconstruction of the intersection between violence and masculinity. It incorporates photographic narratives as an element of visual sociology to understand the cultural construction of violence and masculinity in the everyday lives of young gang members in a small urban city in the province of Mexico (Cuernavaca). We use Goffman’s metaphor of drama and theater to understand the social interactions and performance of young gang members. The concepts of frontstage, outside and backstage enabled us to contextualize the origins of the various forms of violence incorporated as part of the performance of masculinities.