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Real Men Use Nonlethals

Appeals to Masculinity in Marketing Police Weaponry

University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, wozni019{at}umn.edu

Christopher Uggen

University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

In recent years, a range of new nonlethal weapons have been introduced for use by police officers, military personnel, and other consumers. This article examines how manufacturers are employing ideals of masculinity as both physical dominance and technical expertise in marketing these weapons to police officials. Based on a case study of a major weapons manufacturer's educational and sales conference, the authors explore how marketing appeals are adapted to suit a hypermasculine police subculture. Connell's theory of masculinities is employed to understand how such a tightly defined subculture absorbs challenges to its core values of hegemonic hypermasculinity and reimagines itself to keep those core values intact.

Key Words: weapons • policing • masculinity • Connell • justice • stun guns • conducted energy device • police habitus • gender and policing

This version was published on July 1, 2009

Feminist Criminology, Vol. 4, No. 3, 275-293 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/1557085109332676


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