Between anti-gambling and masculinity: mahjong playing among Japanese gay men

Zhenye Liu

International Gambling Studies, 2024, vol. 24, issue 3, 439-457

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to explore the construction of gender norms in gambling through qualitative research and, specifically in relation to the behavior, spatial arrangements, and relationships with objects among gay men. Based on data collected in the Kinki region of Japan from 2021 to 2023, this paper examines gambling from the perspective of gay individuals who hold an anti-gambling stance. The paper considers gambling as a performative act that constructs masculinity and uses actor-network theory to investigate how actors in the context of mahjong parlors construct masculinity. Through this approach, the paper examines this as a dynamic and constructive process in gambling. It meticulously describes the diverse ways in which research participants perceive the relationship between gambling and masculinity, shedding light on the private spaces that are often marginalized from the public norms of gambling. Unlike existing psychological and psychopathological studies on gambling, this paper focuses on the actual practice of gambling through long-term participant observation from an anthropological perspective, fostering a more dynamic and constructive discussion.

Date: 2024
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://hdl.handle.net/10.1080/14459795.2024.2336462 (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:taf:intgms:v:24:y:2024:i:3:p:439-457

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.tandfonline.com/pricing/journal/RIGS20

DOI: 10.1080/14459795.2024.2336462

Access Statistics for this article

International Gambling Studies is currently edited by Katie Donnelly, David Marshall, Bronwyn Stuart, Alex Blaszczynski and Jan McMillen

More articles in International Gambling Studies from Taylor & Francis Journals
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Chris Longhurst ().