Men wanted: the male experience in workshops on affectivity

Abstract

This paper presents an approach to affectivity between male students of a public university in the Mexican state of Tabasco and its relationship with social requirements of gender. With a qualitative approach and phenomenological design, workshops were realized where the participation of two contrasting groups of students was promoted: one of the arts and other of engineering, to explore the experiences about their links with those around them. It was identified that participants assign meanings to their affectivity from the social legislation, the academic public space, the type of relationship established and individuals with whom they interact. Thus, while arts students are more affectionate and tolerant, the participants of engineering have increased expression of anger and tendency to competition; this contrast is articulated both family history and the social gender prescriptions, present in the choice of career.