Balancing Masculine Practices in Transnational Life: How to Remain a “Man” When Having a Russian Wife

This chapter analyzes why and how Tajik migrant men who are married to Russian women display various forms of masculinity. It argues that in order to sustain their masculinity these men need to perform flexible and strategic masculinity by constantly switching between different masculine practices and conforming to the Russian and Tajik gender orders, depending on a social setting. Based on two case studies, the chapter provides an analysis of migrants’ and their wives’ flexible and situational navigation of gender practices showcasing not only flexible and strategic masculinity but also the similar adjustments of femininity in the transnational context.