Sex Outside the City -- Vulnerable Masculinities and Toxicity. Rural Perceptions of Masculinity and Manhood in the Light of Extremist Violence in Mali.

The article examines how local perceptions of masculinity and manhood among the Dogon and Fulani ethnic groups in Mali intersect with violent extremist violence, particularly in rural areas affected by ongoing conflict. Drawing on fieldwork with internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Mali’s central Mopti Region, it highlights that traditional markers of manhood—such as physical strength, farming or herding livelihoods, circumcision, marriage, and community leadership—have been disrupted by extremist violence and displacement. In response, modern expectations emphasizing financial means and material assets (e.g., motorcycles, mobile phones) have become new rites of passage, with extremist groups exploiting these shifting masculine ideals to recruit vulnerable young men by offering protection, income, and social status. The study underscores the complexity of masculinity as a social construct shaped by cultural, economic, and political factors and argues that understanding these gendered dynamics is crucial for developing more effective, context-sensitive Prevention and Countering of Violent Extremism (PCVE) strategies in Mali and the broader Sahel region.