Redefining Breadwinning Among Internally-Displaced Filipino Men in Southern Philippines

This article explores how Filipino men negotiate and reinterpret the breadwinner role—a crucial feature of local hegemonic masculinities—in response to the challenges of internal displacement. Drawing on the life stories of 31 men from the Southern Philippines who experienced conflict-induced internal displacement, we found that despite not always fulfilling traditional breadwinning expectations, men continued benefitting from its associated privileges. To manage disruptions to their life story projects that threatened their identities, Filipino men redefined breadwinning by shifting focus from income generation to efforts involved in finding work, emphasizing its legality and downplaying the type of work or pay. This redefinition allowed men to maintain authority in their family and community, thus preserving their position in local hegemonic masculinities.