Taxis, taverns, tuck shops, and temples: An ethnographic account of performed gendered and religious dynamics in Lusaka's public spaces

Abstract

This article explores how masculinities are performed, contested, and reproduced in public and domestic spaces in Lusaka. Drawing on five months of ethnographic fieldwork across bus stations, taverns, tuck shops, and churches, it examines the intersections of gender performance, economic precarity, and lived Christianity. Using Judith Butler’s theory of gender performativity, Raewyn Connell’s hierarchical masculinities, and the male dominance–male fragility cycle, the article argues that the pursuit of unattainable hegemonic ideals produces chronic anxiety that reinforces domination rather than moderating it. Ian Nell’s theo-dramatic framework is applied to identify the actors, scripts, and plotlines shaping everyday urban life. The analysis demonstrates that masculinity is spatially specific: bus stations reward competitive hustle, churches cultivate responsible patriarchy, and taverns valorise rugged dominance. Although public support for gender equality is increasingly visible, patriarchal practices persist privately. The article concludes that transforming masculinities requires engaging embodied everyday practices alongside public theology.