Farming masculinities in transition? Revisiting the entanglements of agricultural production and masculinities in times of socio-ecological crisis through a systematic literature review

Agriculture remains a male-dominated field—a “man’s world” in many respects—reflected in the ownership of resources, leadership positions, and cultural norms. In recent decades, diverse studies have begun to explore how constructions of masculinities shape agriculture across different contexts. At the same time, a growing body of research examines the role of masculinities in human–nature relationships and their contribution to the socio-ecological crisis. Given that agriculture is a sector under immense pressure precisely because of these socio-ecological challenges, it seems more pressing than ever to pay close attention to the constructions of masculinities within this sector and their entanglement with specific human–nature relationships. In this article, I trace shifting constructions of farming masculinities through a systematic literature review, guided by the following questions: What is the current state of knowledge regarding farming masculinities? Based on the results of this review, I discuss the following questions: What does this body of knowledge tell us about the underlying human–nature relationship? What are the challenges and potentials for transforming this relationship in agriculture? The analysis highlights diverse configurations of farming masculinities. Drawing on discussions of caring and hybrid masculinities, I argue that a key obstacle to transforming human–nature relations within agriculture lies in the enmeshment of these configurations with the gendered separation of production and reproduction. Nonetheless, the findings indicate that potential for change exists at the margins.