Constructing Pathways to Responsible Manhood: Controlling Images and Meaning Making Through the Use of Counter-narratives

Recent studies have focused on challenging deficit narratives and discourses perpetuating the criminalization of Latino men and boys. But even with this emerging literature, mainstream counter-narratives of young Latino boys and their attitudes towards manhood and masculinity stand in stark contrast to the dangerous and animalistic portrayals of Latino boys and men in the media and society. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, the authors draw on the notion of counter-storytelling to explore how Latino boys try to reframe masculinity, manhood, and what they label as 'responsible manhood.' Counter-storytelling and narratives provide a platform from which to challenge the discourse, narratives, and imaginaries guiding the conceptualization of machismo. In their counter-narratives, Latino boys critiqued how they are raced, gendered, and Othered in derogatory ways. Keywords: counter-narratives, counter-storytelling, critical race theory, Latino males, mixed methods, masculinity, single-sex schools, urban education
Introduction In recent years growing scholarship and studies have focused on challenging deficit narratives and discourses perpetuating a criminalization of Latino men and boys. But even with this growing scholarship, [...]