Hombres de carne y pelo. Los "osos" de Barcelona desde una mirada etnográfica.

Abstract

The following dissertation arises from an ethnographic research on bear gay men, a group of males who celebrate thicker, hairier and more mature bodies than the average image in gay representations. Bears are often mentioned as an example of diversity that broadens representations of gay men but, nevertheless, their model of masculinity also poses serious (political) dilemmas. Are bears either a political movement or a subculture that challenges the prevailing heterosexism? Answering that kind of question requires an empirical approach to bears. However, no empirical research has been conducted neither in Spain nor in Catalonia thus far. This research aims to fill this empirical gap by addressing different experiential spheres within the social life of bears. Far from being an identity category embodied in subjectivities as markedly as gender or sexuality, bears work out who they are and what they want inside the context of gay leisrue and consumption. «Men of flesh and hair» tackles bears as a body style that links many positive and effective meanings across the body. It imprints meanings such as authenticity, tolerance, ease and masculinity on excesses of body weight, body hair and wrinkles. At the same time, it produces a sort of differential value which allows for eroticizing bodies that are otherwise perceived as embarrassing and that are either absent or rejected in the dominant models of gay representation. e desirable from bear’s perspective. The bear style arranges meeting and socializing spaces where social action is not just ruled by external prohibitions and the need to protect itself against a hostile environment from heterosexual and other’s gays perspectives, but also by the possibilities that it offers. Thus, seduction, sexualization and the relaxation from daily responsibilities shape the main frameworks of both social action and interpretation within it. Similarly, cultural productions and media contribute to strengthen bear existence as well as to fix and distribute its erotic capital in uneven ways, generating hierarchies within the group. The reactions and interpretations regarding the bear style contrast with the social practices that take place in those bear spaces. In the latter, social action unfolds among intermittent and versatile roles that look both for complicity and distinction, by using either feminine or manly codes. Therefore, it seems difficult to offer a conclusive answer about whether bears reproduce or subvert heterosexism. This dissertation concludes that bear gay men attempt to enlarge the framework of gay leisure and consumption in order to include many other bodies and consumers, claiming for the right to be desirable. Bears build their style upon erotic power, while confronts hetero-centred perspective that links gender identity to sexual and affective orientation. However, their collective proposal does not thoroughly and explicitly question heterosexism: an issue that is as ignore as it is criticized within their ranks.

Date of Award	20 Sept 2019
Original language	Spanish
Supervisor	Martí Perez (Director) & Virginia Fons Renaudon (Tutor)