Vulnerable Masculinity as Other: Self/Other Dynamics in Adolescence’s One-Shot Gaz
Vulnerable Masculinity as Other: Self/Other Dynamics in Adolescence’s One-Shot Gaz

Summary/Abstract: This paper examines how Adolescence (2025), a British Netflix drama, constructs vulnerable adolescent masculinity as the Other through the Self/Other framework. Drawing on Hegel’s master/slave dialectic, Levinas’s ethical encounter, Kristeva’s stranger within, Connell’s hegemonic masculinity, and Mulvey’s gaze, it analyzes Jamie Miller’s portrayal as a 13-year-old radicalized by incel ideologies. Through qualitative textual analysis of key episodes, the study reveals how the show’s one-shot filming exposes Jamie’s external marginalization and internal fragmentation while inviting ethical viewer engagement. Findings highlight Adolescence’s critique of toxic masculinity, reflecting societal shifts in gender norms. The paper contributes to media and masculinity studies by emphasizing the one-shot gaze’s role in shaping identity. Future research could explore non-male or multicultural identities to address diverse identity dynamics.

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