Masculinities, tlawmngaihna, and mizo nationalism: Why soft, pretty Mizo men are perceived as a threat

Title

Masculinities, tlawmngaihna, and mizo nationalism: Why soft, pretty Mizo men are perceived as a threat

Creator

Khenglawt, Ringngheti; Sahu, Sudhansubala

Description

Masculinities are social and cultural attributes, roles and performances typically associated with being men. Through ethnography, this article explores the complicated position of soft masculinity in mizo cultural space and nationalist discourse. It looks at tlawmngaihna (mizo code of conduct) performances as hierarchies that are gendered and explains why mens tlawmngaihna are considered to be more visible and valuable. Using hegemonic masculinity theory, this article argues that mizo nationalism is masculinised which is fuelled by homophobia and anti-femininity. Ultimately, it explains the complexity of soft mizo masculinitys position and how they are involved but are non-visible in mizo cultural space. 2025 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Source

National Identities;Volume;28;Issue;1;pp.107-123

Date

01-01-2026

Publisher

Routledge

Subject

hegemonic masculinity; Masculinity; mizo nationalism; soft masculinity; soft mizo masculinity; tlawmngaihna

Coverage

Khenglawt R., Department of Sociology, Christ University, Bangalore, India; Sahu S., Department of Sociology, Christ University, Bangalore, India

Rights

Restricted Access; Hardcopy may be available in the library

Relation

ISSN: 14608944;

Format

online

Language

English

Type

Article

Identifier

https://doi.org/10.1080/14608944.2025.2498589

https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105005001032?origin=resultslist