Rethinking masculinities from the didactics of history: between emergent practices and resistance

Abstract

This study examines how the historical construction of masculinities is addressed in the teaching of History at the secondary and upper-secondary levels. Drawing on an interdisciplinary theoretical framework informed by recent contributions from historiography, didactics, and sociology, it employs a qualitative methodology that triangulates interviews with in-service teachers, analysis of educational materials, and systematic classroom observations. The findings reveal a significant degree of irregularity and conceptual dispersion in the treatment of masculinities, with a marked focus on the contemporary period. Although a variety of contents and resources are identified, notable resistance is observed among male students, alongside tensions within the broader school environment regarding the inclusion of these topics in the curriculum. These dynamics underscore the urgent need for specific teacher training in gender perspectives and for the development of didactic proposals that enable a transversal, inclusive, and critical integration of masculinities into history education.