Reconfiguration of Masculine Identity in Contexts of Forced Displacement and Migration: A Bibliographic Review

Abstract

This article examines the reconfiguration of masculine identity in contexts of migration and forced displacement in Mexico and Latin America, based on a systematic review of 59 academic, technical, and testimonial documents. The analysis shows that men’s migratory motivations are not limited to the economic mandate of breadwinning but also include structural, emotional, and symbolic factors that shape the transformation of their subjectivities. From an inter-sectional and critical perspective, the study highlights the tensions that mark male experiences—dispossession, precarity, and structural violence—while also revealing the emergence of resilient, affective, and caring masculinities. Findings indicate that, rather than reinforcing hegemonic models, migration and displacement may produce identity crises while simultaneously opening paths toward alternative practices of being a man, particularly in dimensions of fatherhood, emotionality, and gender relations. At the same time, the persistent invisibility of displaced men in the design of public policies is noted, alongside their continued heteronormative and reductionist framing. The article concludes by underscoring the urgency of advancing toward feminist, decolonial, and inter-sectional approaches in the study and care of migrant masculinities, integrating dimensions such as class, racialization, and sexual diversity in order to foster transformative processes in social, political, and epistemic spheres.