Paper Short Abstract:

The contribution focuses on the transformations of subjectivity and masculinity of adult civilian men in Ukraine as affected by the ban on men leaving the country (introduced under martial law in response to the Russian all-out invasion in 2022), as well as by mobilization processes more generally.

Paper Abstract:

The contribution is based on ongoing research on the experiences of adult civilian men in Ukraine as affected by the ban on men leaving the country (introduced under martial law in response to the Russian all-out invasion in 2022) and the coping strategies they develop to sustain themselves and their families while either evading the ban and going abroad or remaining in the country. The contribution focuses specifically on the ways constrained mobility and limited freedom due to the travel ban, as well as mobilization more generally, affect and shape the subjectivity and masculinity of civilian men, especially against the backdrop of the hegemonic masculinity represented by a defender of the country. That is, it looks at how civilian men’s masculinities become transformed under these circumstances and what kind of alternative and “strategic” masculinities are formed and foregrounded. These transformations are considered in the context of broader societal transformations, state-citizen relationships, and gender regimes, where currently both trends can be observed: on the one hand, due to their participation in the army – an increased visibility of women and LGBTQ+ community and respective discussions about equality, while on the other, a sense that with the full-scale war, came a rollback that reinforced traditional gender roles. Methodologically, the research relies on interviews with both men who left and those who stayed in the country, as well as some of their partners, analysis of the transformations of the law and regulations governing the mobility of men, discourse analysis, and digital ethnography.