Malakos and kinaidos: figures of effeminate masculinity

Authors

Abstract

This article analyzes effeminacy as an expression of femininity in men, considering it simultaneously as a form of non-hegemonic masculinity in patriarchal societies. In particular, it raises a question about how effeminacy was conceptualized in ancient Greece and Rome through two specific notions: malakos (μαλακός) and kinaidos (κίναιδος). Through these two notions, the article explores the historical associations between effeminacy and various signifiers and meanings, such as homosexuality, passivity, weakness, and cowardice. The aim is to investigate and clarify the conceptual elusiveness that persists around effeminacy, recognizing it as an autonomous and distinguishable figure within the expressions of non-hegemonic masculinity.

Keywords:

masculinity, effeminacy, sexuality, Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome

Author Biography

aleosha eridani, Universidad de Playa Ancha

Doctor en Estudios Interdisciplinarios sobre Pensamiento, Cultura y Sociedad. Psicólogo, docente e investigador en educación, género y masculinidades.