In both the female-owned and dominated CrossFit space examined by Knapp (2015b) and the male-owned and co-ed Cross-Fit space considered in the present work, participants staged resistance against hegemonic norms of femininity, even in spite of recognizing that the box culture simultaneously perpetuated and challenged such norms.
Are female CrossFitters who work out in these spaces still able to stage some resistance against hegemonic norms of femininity, particularly given that the culture of the sport has been said to reinforce such norms, at least within its promotional literature?
Consistent with Knapp (2015b), many participants experienced the box as a space to transgress hegemonic norms of femininity by openly displaying traditionally masculine traits such as strength and aggressiveness: "…in the…box…we're pushed to be aggressive, vocal, and strong…It's rewarding…I don't feel like we get the same respect outside of the gym in that way" (Ann, 30 years).
Many Khululeka members have come to believe that it was adherence to hegemonic norms of masculinity that resulted in their HIV-positive status.
Some men spoke of their wives' resistance to transforming gender norms and roles, which supports the suggestion that women can and often do play a role in reinforcing hegemonic norms of masculinity (Hearn 2004).
First, interventions aiming to encourage men to adopt particular behaviours that do not align with hegemonic norms have sometimes attempted to engage men using language and imagery that appeals to stereotypical ideas of manhood.
Men and boys who face a range of intersecting disadvantages may be particularly harmed by hegemonic masculine norms, as may be the women and girls in their lives.
They should also acknowledge the potential costs of involvement in violence prevention itself, given that the men and boys who participate may be ridiculed or harassed for lack of conformity to hegemonic masculine norms (Crooks et al. 2007).
As Fleming, Lee and Dworkin (2014) describe in their analysis of Man Up Monday, an intervention that sought to encourage STI testing among men, deploying hegemonic male norms in an attempt to appeal to men may serve to reinforce dominant and harmful forms of masculinity rather than challenge them.
Hegemonic social norms were described as often reinforced through peer pressure from other young men: Baruti: For me I think we have two types of information, one, we have this information we get from school, we have to be faithful, have one partner, condomise, when we are out there with other guys we ignore this information deliberately, we want to be players and want flesh-to-flesh.
