Continuity in the face of change: Identifying three strategies for constructing stable masculinity in liminality

We examined how men tell stories of masculinity, continuity, and change in the liminal context of moving between hometown and university. In nine in-depth semi-structured interviews with male students at an Irish university, participants were asked to describe their experiences moving between the places of home and university. We examined the functions of men's stories using a narrative approach to discourse analysis. We identified three strategies that university men use to construct and position the self in a narrative of transition: continuity through stability, continuity through resistance, and continuity through growth. We conclude that participants use all three strategies to construct 'authentic' masculinity. Therefore, a primary discursive goal in these men's talk about life transitions was to construct a stable and authentic masculine identity. Our findings foreground men's use of masculinity to maintain a coherent identity in response to liminal contexts. We highlight the importance of examining identity performance across liminal contexts and among other more disadvantaged groups to analyse different self and identity construction in stories of change. Findings are discussed in relation to stability and continuity as important discursive accomplishment for masculinity and other identities in liminality.