Papers by Kevin Partridge
Sometimes it seemed impossible to navigate but along the way, I had many people who encouraged an... more Sometimes it seemed impossible to navigate but along the way, I had many people who encouraged and supported me. I remember one conversation in particular with my friend Pete (d. 2019). He was in a Master's program and we were discussing some of the books that he and I had both read. He commented, "You read more books than me, and I'm a grad student. You should go back to school!" After decades of shitty working-class jobs, even grad studies sounded like a good idea. As a sociologist, I depend on the generosity of the participants in my research. I had done very little work in the private security industry and lived solely on the West Coast before moving to Ottawa for my PhD. I am grateful for the workers and managers in the industry who gave me access and shared their experiences, thoughts and feelings with me during my research. My committee changed slightly in the final year of my work. Susan Braedley worked with me to clarify my arguments and hammer the dissertation into its final form. Alexis Shotwell and Janet Siltanen provided critical and generous input where needed. Jackie Kennelly welcomed me to Carleton and guided me through much of the research. All of them were both supportive and inspirational in many different ways. This dissertation was an opportunity to develop my activism as well as my thinking and writing. They helped me stay on track to complete my PhD while also supporting my broader engagement in our shared community and my propensity to cause problems for the 'powers that be'. iv I arrived in a department and a city full of lively and intense intellectual, political and cultural projects. Rodney Nelson helped me move to Ottawa and showed me the bizarre maze of hallways and offices that constitute the Loeb buildings. Dingding helped welcome me to Ottawa and with Klaus and their daughter, Kate continue to be part of my community here. Paula Whissell and the rest of the departmental staff are essential to many academic projects including mine. Many professors, such as Jane Parpart, Zhiqui Lin, and Billy Flynn, were significant supports throughout my PhD. I was lucky to enter with a cohort of grad students who came together with all their different perspectives and passions. I recall one student visiting from another university who attended one of our doctoral seminars and afterwards commented, "That was amazing! There was actual critical sociology happening in there!" Some of my classmates and friends who provided essential support during my studies include Amanda
Heroism and Global Politics, 2018
The primary argument in this chapter is that heroism is a concept that motivates individuals to p... more The primary argument in this chapter is that heroism is a concept that motivates individuals to participate in the private security industry. Heroism informs a narrative that is both heavily gendered and interwoven with ideas of protection and security that are most obviously articulated in the work of the police and military. In my ethnographic research, I look at the thoughts, feeling, motivations, and practices of private security workers in Canada. There is great diversity in their jobs even within a single city. In talking about their work, they produced stories of why they did the work. These narratives revealed their reasons for engaging in what is otherwise poorly compensated labour. Security workers, in part, justify their work as a necessary component of a greater battle between good and evil that underpins many heroic stories from the myths of antiquity to modern popular culture. They see themselves as standing between potential harm or risk and the safety of civilian life. Additionally, these heroic narratives are filled with specific masculine archetypes that are often closely associated with the construction and perpetuation of 'hegemonic' and 'hyper' masculinities. This connection means that the concepts of heroism, risk, and security have specific gendered forms and theoretical implications. The embodiments of these ideas through their work then reinforces and recreates the structures that define the modern 'risk society' and the patriarchal structures that currently accompany it. These different structures are not definitively welded together into a stable structure, but need to be constantly reconfigured as material conditions change. The current forces of globalization and
This thesis examines the lives of nine women who were part of the creation of the punk scene in V... more This thesis examines the lives of nine women who were part of the creation of the punk scene in Vancouver, BC and have continued to identify as punks as they get older. By conducting in-depth interviews that cover specific aspects of their life histories, I gather information on how these women's participation in punk influenced their choices and goals and how they, in turn, influenced the punk scene. Using theoretical concepts from the works of bell hooks and Pierre Bourdieu, I argue that the women were able to exercise a great deal of creative agency despite the many restrictions to which they were subject because of their gender, class, style and life circumstances. They were able to turn limitations into opportunities that enriched their own lives and the community around them in a way that shows how a marginal cultural movement may contribute to greater social change.
Gender and Education, 2013
SAGE Publications Ltd eBooks, Mar 3, 2016
Affinities a Journal of Radical Theory Culture and Action, May 30, 2014
From the frontlines of the battle against global imperialism, this book both argues for and exemp... more From the frontlines of the battle against global imperialism, this book both argues for and exemplifies the importance of dialogue within and about radical activism. It is a collective project that is based in various No One is Illegal groups across Canada and includes writings from more than a dozen different people. The bulk of the book is framed by Harsha Walia's understanding of borders and border imperialism and reflects lessons she has learned from many years of activism. It is an important part of discussions that continue to take place about the how theories and intellectual work relates to social change.
Heroism and Global Politics, 2018
Draft of Chapter 3 Everyday heroics:
Motivating Masculine Protection in the Private Security Indu... more Draft of Chapter 3 Everyday heroics:
Motivating Masculine Protection in the Private Security Industry
Kitchen, V., & Mathers, J. G. (Eds.). (2018). Heroism and Global Politics. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429457777
MA Thesis, 2011
This thesis examines the lives of nine women who were part of the creation of the punk scene in V... more This thesis examines the lives of nine women who were part of the creation of the punk scene in Vancouver, BC and have continued to identify as punks as they get older. By conducting in-depth interviews that cover specific aspects of their life histories, I gather information on how these women’s participation in punk influenced their choices and goals and how they, in turn, influenced the punk scene. Using theoretical concepts from the works of bell hooks and Pierre Bourdieu, I argue that the women were able to exercise a great deal of creative agency despite the many restrictions to which they were subject because of their gender, class, style and life circumstances. They were able to turn limitations into opportunities that enriched their own lives and the community around them in a way that shows how a marginal cultural movement may contribute to greater social change.
Chapter 32 in The Sage Handbook of Feminist Theory (2014)
Edited by Mary Evans, Clare Hemmings, M... more Chapter 32 in The Sage Handbook of Feminist Theory (2014)
Edited by Mary Evans, Clare Hemmings, Marsha Henry, Hazel Johnstone, Sumi Madhok, Ania Plomien and Sadie Wearing
Soldiering On: Pushing militarized masculinities into new territory
by Jane Parpart and Kevin Partridge
Militarized masculinity has been theorized as a form of hegemonic masculinity because it is focused on dominance over other people, especially women, children and subordinate males, and associated with activities that are seen as largely male, such as combat and rape. However, militarized masculinity is also the source of a great deal of discussion, debate, and critical reaction as it seems to frequently cause both personal and social breakdowns as well as behaviour usually regarded as feminine. Drawing on feminist, queer, and masculinity studies’ theorizing, the chapter complicates the equation between militarized and hegemonic masculinity, arguing that the military and conflict also produce alternative gendered practices which not only challenge the hegemonic order, but also offer more equitable, nurturing alternatives to experiencing and understanding gender in war, combat and conflict.
Talks by Kevin Partridge
Book Reviews by Kevin Partridge
TOPIA: Canadian Journal of Cultural Studies, Jan 1, 2012
TOPIA: Canadian Journal of Cultural Studies. Language English. Journal Content Search. All. Brows... more TOPIA: Canadian Journal of Cultural Studies. Language English. Journal Content Search. All. Browse: ...
Uploads
Papers by Kevin Partridge
Motivating Masculine Protection in the Private Security Industry
Kitchen, V., & Mathers, J. G. (Eds.). (2018). Heroism and Global Politics. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429457777
Edited by Mary Evans, Clare Hemmings, Marsha Henry, Hazel Johnstone, Sumi Madhok, Ania Plomien and Sadie Wearing
Soldiering On: Pushing militarized masculinities into new territory
by Jane Parpart and Kevin Partridge
Militarized masculinity has been theorized as a form of hegemonic masculinity because it is focused on dominance over other people, especially women, children and subordinate males, and associated with activities that are seen as largely male, such as combat and rape. However, militarized masculinity is also the source of a great deal of discussion, debate, and critical reaction as it seems to frequently cause both personal and social breakdowns as well as behaviour usually regarded as feminine. Drawing on feminist, queer, and masculinity studies’ theorizing, the chapter complicates the equation between militarized and hegemonic masculinity, arguing that the military and conflict also produce alternative gendered practices which not only challenge the hegemonic order, but also offer more equitable, nurturing alternatives to experiencing and understanding gender in war, combat and conflict.
Talks by Kevin Partridge
Book Reviews by Kevin Partridge
Motivating Masculine Protection in the Private Security Industry
Kitchen, V., & Mathers, J. G. (Eds.). (2018). Heroism and Global Politics. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429457777
Edited by Mary Evans, Clare Hemmings, Marsha Henry, Hazel Johnstone, Sumi Madhok, Ania Plomien and Sadie Wearing
Soldiering On: Pushing militarized masculinities into new territory
by Jane Parpart and Kevin Partridge
Militarized masculinity has been theorized as a form of hegemonic masculinity because it is focused on dominance over other people, especially women, children and subordinate males, and associated with activities that are seen as largely male, such as combat and rape. However, militarized masculinity is also the source of a great deal of discussion, debate, and critical reaction as it seems to frequently cause both personal and social breakdowns as well as behaviour usually regarded as feminine. Drawing on feminist, queer, and masculinity studies’ theorizing, the chapter complicates the equation between militarized and hegemonic masculinity, arguing that the military and conflict also produce alternative gendered practices which not only challenge the hegemonic order, but also offer more equitable, nurturing alternatives to experiencing and understanding gender in war, combat and conflict.