Breaking Barriers: Self-expression and breakdance culture in Amman, Jordan

Abstract

This thesis investigates how breakdance intervenes in the gendered expectations relating to men and masculinities in contemporary Jordan, contributing to the understanding of young adults’ lives in the contemporary Middle East. Social codes and expectations relating to sex and gender are, in Jordan as elsewhere, embedded guidelines for what young adults consider to be the right way to live their lives. Through a case study of breaking (breakdance) and urban dancers, the thesis explores how Jordanian urban dancers are continuously identifying, debating, negotiating, and challenging societal norms, of which gendered expectations is a recurring theme.