Young people, masculinities, religion and race: new social geographies

Abstract

Ideas about race and racism have been a centrepiece of social geography for as much as 50 years, yet it was not until the 1990s that markers of difference rooted in religion, masculinities and generation achieved the same critical attention. Moreover, while all of these literatures are now well established in the discipline, relatively few studies – within or beyond human geography – have sought to bring them together. Focusing on recent research about race, religion, young people and masculinities, from within human geography as well as from neighbouring disciplines, I suggest various ways in which human geographers might seek to include the experiences, identities and practices of young racialized and religious men in their future research. In engaging with the lived experiences of young people whose voices are usually silenced, often unheard and frequently distorted, this article seeks to explore some of the ways in which masculinities and the experiences of young people may be mediated by the geographies of racism and religion. Initially offering a brief summary of some of the recent trends in the geography of race and racism, religion, youth and masculinities, I then suggest ways in which an agenda for research with young racialized and religious men might be taken forward.