'Karmic Masculinity': welcome to my new concept for 2026!

Karmic masculinity: a form of masculinity shaped by accumulated social, cultural, or historical patterns (e.g. class, media, or inherited norms) which are reproduced over time but can also be reworked or interrupted.

Situated from a fashion angle, masculinity as something circulated, repeated, and “returned” through visual culture (e.g. fashion) rather than fixed in social structure alone

"karmic masculinity” is not an established academic concept and to my knowledge there is no recognised scholar who has defined or theorised it in sociology, gender studies, or masculinity studies and it has not been situated in fashion or visual culture.

• There are no peer-reviewed articles, books or major theorists using the exact phrase “karmic masculinity”.

• It does not appear in standard masculinity theory (e.g. hegemonic masculinity, inclusive masculinity, toxic masculinity).

The closest matches are in spiritual / self-help / esoteric contexts, not sociology:

“Karmic & masculinity" (spiritual discourse)

• Some spiritual sources talk about “divine masculine” or “karmic masculine energy” in relation to healing, balance, or past-life patterns

• Example: references to “karmic burdens” or “karmic masculine energy” in spiritual content

  
  

"Karma” + masculinity (loosely linked, academic-adjacent)

• Some religious studies work discusses masculinity in relation to karmic relationships or cycles (e.g. Buddhist masculinities)

• For example, research explores how male relationships are shaped by “karmic connections… through cycles of death and rebirth” 

However this is about religion and embodiment, not a theory called karmic masculinity

“Karmic patterns” linked to gender traits

• Esoteric/psychological texts sometimes link masculinity to “karmic themes” like authority or control but again this is not a formal theory and there is no consistent definition

What is defined in "masculinity" studies

Established terms include:

• Hegemonic masculinity: dominant ideal of masculinity in a hierarchy (Connell 1987)

• Toxic masculinity: harmful norms like emotional suppression (Bliss 1980s)

• Plural masculinities: masculinity varies across contexts and groups (Aboim. S 2010)

These are, clearly defined, widely cited and academically recognised.

I intend my concept of karmic masculinity to be a way of extending existing theories of masculinity by introducing a stronger sense of repetition and consequence over time. While R. W. Connell (1987; 1995) shows how masculinities are structured hierarchically and Judith Butler (1990) understands gender as something repeatedly performed, both approaches stop short of fully accounting for how these performances accumulate and circulate across time and contexts. Karmic masculinity builds on this by suggesting that masculine norms are not only performed but carried forward; reproduced, adapted, and sometimes resisted through ongoing social and cultural practices such as fashion. In this sense, masculinity can be understood as something that returns and evolves, shaped by past expressions but never entirely fixed, allowing for both continuity and change.