"It's Cultivated, Grown, Packaged and Sold with a Price Tag": Young Black Men's Consumption of Media Images of Love, Happiness and Constructions of Masculinity

Young Black men consume media images of love and happiness on a terrain in which models of loving and happy Black masculinities are scarce and usually Black men are stereotypically rendered as violent. A qualitative study was conducted exploring ways in which the media shape young men’s understanding of love and happiness as well as how these are in turn related to constructions of masculinity. Informed by four focus group discussions, findings highlight the value of examining discourses conveyed through media as well as the possibilities and constraints prevalent representations pose for young men regarding positive masculinity. The study holds potential for going beyond the stereotypical risk-and-deficit approaches to studies on Black men and masculinity by focussing on the significance of positive emotions in constructions of masculinity.