Mates, masculinities and social change: An intergenerational exploration of emotion and intimacy in Australian men’s friendships

Men’s friendships have long been considered ‘activity-based’ and largely void of the trust and intimacy that women friends share – but recent research suggests this is changing. In this thesis, I draw on data from individual interviews with fourteen pairs of fathers and sons (n=28) to explore what this change looks like, why it has come about and what this says about the transformation of masculinity more broadly. Ultimately, I argue that the increasing influence of feminism, LGBTQIA+ rights and mental health discourse has destabilised traditional masculine norms that relate to friendship, allowing men to be more caring, expressive and intimate.