In the previous entry, the environmental and health impacts of leather tanning as a largely male-dominated industry was highlighted. This entry will then focus on the inequality experienced by men in the leather tanning industry as a result of the intersectionality between gender, class and income. 

First and foremost, masculinities must be established as socially constructed and fluid (Kimmel, 2001). The fluid and multiple nature of masculinities highlight why it is plural – masculinities, as opposed to just masculinity alluding to a singular nature (Kimmel, 2001).

However, despite the fluidity of masculinities recognised within research, a hegemonic masculinity is observed as the dominant or superior form across several cultures and societies (Figure 1) (Connell and Messerschmidt, 2005). In this context, hegemonic masculinity is materialised in the form of an authoritative and strong male figure, often perceived to be objective, “tough”, or for lack of a better term, “macho” (Connell and Messerschmidt, 2005). 

Not only is the leather tanning industry male-dominated, the skillset is often passed down within the male-lineage across generations. How does hegemonic masculinity then impact this industry as a largely male-dominated one? 

Men in male-dominated industries are often more susceptible to physical-related occupational risks due to normalised expectations that men are supposed to be fearless in the face of danger (Stergiou-Kita et al., 2015). Furthermore, these men are then less likely to reach out for help as they feel pressured to put on a resilient front to protect their masculinity (Beagan & Saunders, 2011). Apart from the policing of one’s own behaviour, these men are further marginalised by their limited access to aid as society also neglects their need for it (Stergiou-Kita et al., 2015). Translating this into the leather-tanning industry, it is unsurprising that the hazardous nature of the job is often overlooked. Moreover, as the industry is contained within the male lineage, it is unlikely that men will speak up or break out of it to maintain their masculine pride (Gebremichael, 2016). 

Having said that, the leather tanning industry is largely constituted by men from lower class and lower income backgrounds. In India, the men in this line of work are often from the lower castes (Kapoor, 2021). Due to the nature of the job, the stench from working in the tannery also caused others to associate tanning as an undesirable occupation, where these men face open discrimination due to the odour (Kapoor, 2021). In order to combat the stench of their “polluted bodies”, showers were then built to allow them to bathe before leaving the tannery (Kapoor, 2021). This highlights the irony behind the tanning industry that despite its labour-intensive nature making it “masculine”, these men also face prejudice due to its “dirty” association. 

As we view leather products as a luxury good and as an item of prestige, we often neglect the chain of work that brought these products into our malls. Which is why I would like to bring up the importance of gendered analysis once again. While “gender” often brings to mind the inequality faced by women (which is true), we often forget about how these gender roles impact men as well. Furthermore, men also face complexity in their inequality when class and income are put into play. This is why I chose to explore the leather tanning industry to unearth the array of impacts experienced by the male workers and hopefully this series has been eye-opening for you as well. 

References 

Beagan, B., & Saunders, S. (2005). Occupations of masculinity: Producing gender through what men do and don’t do. Journal of Occupational Science, 12(3), 161–169. https://doi.org/10.1080/14427591.2005.9686559 

Connell, R. W., & Messerschmidt, J. W. (2005). Hegemonic masculinity. Gender & Society, 19(6), 829–859. https://doi.org/10.1177/0891243205278639 

Gebremichael, B. (2016). Traditional Leather Processing, production and marketing in Amhara Regional State of Ethiopia. OALib, 03(12), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1102751 

Kapoor, S. (2021). The violence of odors: Sensory politics of caste in a leather tannery. The Senses and Society, 16(2), 164–176. https://doi.org/10.1080/17458927.2021.1876365 

Kimmel, M. (2001). Masculinities and Femininities. International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences, 9318–9321. https://doi.org/10.1016/b0-08-043076-7/03977-2 

Stergiou-Kita, M., Mansfield, E., Bezo, R., Colantonio, A., Garritano, E., Lafrance, M., Lewko, J., Mantis, S., Moody, J., Power, N., Theberge, N., Westwood, E., & Travers, K. (2015). Danger zone: Men, masculinity and occupational health and safety in high risk occupations. Safety Science, 80, 213–220. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2015.07.029