Relocating mining masculinity: early retirement and the everyday lives of mineworkers in Zonguldak
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1080/18902138.2026.2744858
- Dergi Adı: NORMA
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), Scopus
- Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Drawing on Connell’s concept of hegemonic masculinity and the geography of masculinities, this article examines how early retirement in a high-risk, male-dominated sector reshapes mining-based masculine identities historically intertwined with local belonging in Zonguldak, Turkey, a city long shaped by its mining industry. Despite the declining economic importance of mining and the gradual reduction of the workforce through retirements and institutional downsizing, mining continues to be framed as a heroic and masculine occupation that informs both urban culture and personal identities. Based on ethnographic research, including interviews and observations, the study explores how retired mineworkers renegotiate their identities as they navigate increased leisure time alongside enduring gendered expectations. The findings show that early retirement reshapes daily temporal routines but does not weaken the symbolic authority of mining masculinity. Retired mineworkers continue to perform occupationally grounded identities across domestic, social, and urban spaces. Rooted in camaraderie, endurance, adventure, and a normative emphasis on activity and productivity, this masculinity extends beyond the workplace and becomes intertwined with local belonging. Hegemonic masculinity survives industrial decline not by remaining in the workplace, but by migrating into new social arenas of everyday life.