Professor: Elon Musk’s SpaceX Is a ‘Trojan Horse’ for Hegemonic Masculinity
A Professor of Strategy and Security Studies at the U.S. Air Force School of Advanced Air and Space Studies (SAASS) has argued that Elon Musk and SpaceX perpetuate “hegemonic masculinity”—a concept she claims pushes employees to work harder while fostering an exclusionary environment.
The professor, Wendy Whitman Cobb, made this argument in the latest issue of Space Policy, a peer-reviewed academic journal published by Elsevier. Cobb specifically singles out Elon Musk and SpaceX as a “Trojan Horse” for this type of masculinity.
“Silicon Valley's work ethic, as demonstrated by Elon Musk and others, simply masks a masculinity with multiple layers of labor exploitation,” argues Cobb, adding that “masculinity underpins the ‘tech bro’ culture that Musk and others represent.”
Cobb defines hegemonic masculinity as a form of dominant masculinity traditionally associated with traits like “strength, rationality, aggression, public life, and leadership.” While these qualities are sometimes linked to “toxic masculinity,” Cobb notes that feminist academics have started to avoid the term due to its polarizing connotations.
“Given the dominance of Musk in the space industry and elsewhere—his company, SpaceX has all but a de facto monopoly on space launch —some further remarks are warranted particularly in his expression of masculine identity,” she says.
Caption: SpaceX on Twitter / May 21 2024
“While neither Musk nor [Jeff] Bezos are likely to fully succeed in [space exploration endeavors] in the near future, the hegemonic masculinities both represent will likely greatly influence not just what is done in space but who it is done by—who gets to go, what they are allowed to do, and what the rules of the game are,” Cobb adds.
Cobb’s critique goes further, alleging that the space sector remains exclusionary to women, minorities, and other marginalized groups.
“It is not just women who have been largely left to the side in the development of the space domain [SpaceX] but black Americans, people who identify as LGBTQ+, the disabled, and Native Americans among others,” she argues.
She concludes the paper by admitting that more research is needed, as feminist critiques of space policy remain largely overlooked.
“It is an admittedly difficult thing to get scholars to pay attention to a feminist critique of a policy area that is already underappreciated, underacknowledged, and misunderstood. Space policy is a perennial secondary or tertiary agenda item for most politicians, let alone the public or the academic community.”
The paper, titled “For All (Wo)mankind: Advancing a Feminist Critique of Space Policy,” includes a disclaimer that Cobb’s views do not reflect those of the Department of Defense, where she previously worked and may still maintain professional ties.
Liberty Affair reached out to Professor Cobb for comment multiple times but did not receive a response.
Toni Airaksinen (@Toni_Airaksinen on X) is a journalist living in Delray Beach, Florida. If you want to stay on top of news regarding college antisemitism or DEI in the classroom, please follow her on Substack, Twitter or Instagram.
