Migrants and Masculinity in High-Rise Nairobi, The Pressure of being a Man in an African City

Author

Schmidt; Mario

Year

2024

Publisher

Boydell & Brewer

Language

English

Pages

ISBN

978-1-80543-204-3

Link

Last Update

12-Jan-2026

Keywords

Anthropology ; Gender Studies ; Urban Studies ; sustainability-discipline ; Development Studies ; History ; African Studies

Description

‘Have you heard about the soldier who was killed by his wife here in Pipeline?’ Andrew¹ asked after completing a set of biceps curls while Carl and I were waiting for Isaac to finish his set of bench presses. ‘Strong, strong, light weight, light weight’ was how Isaac, a manual labourer who worked in the nearby industrial area and came to the gym whenever his day-or night-shifts had ended, ‘psyched’ himself while finishing the last repetitions of his set: ‘Big chest, big chest! Sexy weight, sexy weight!’ ‘Someone who has been to Somalia, has survived landmines, grenades, and AK-47s only...