In keeping with several other South African studies, the boys in this study also characterised themselves and their peers according to self-generated and commonly understood typologies, reflecting that adolescent identities within their community are not homogeneous. All the participants mentioned that boys are not the same and that there are different ‘types’ of boys at school: tsotsi boys (naughty/violent boys), academic boys, sex-jaro boys (popular with girls), Christian boys, cheese boys (rich boys) and gay boys. Most boys do not fit neatly into one category, however. Adolescent boys often vacillate between and identify with multiple positions, confirming Stephen Frosh and colleagues’ view that masculinities are fluid, multiple and often contradictory.

Some interesting complexities were revealed during my interviews with the adolescent boys in Alexandra township in relation to how boys simultaneously accept and reject certain masculine practices in their daily lives, depending on the contexts in which they find themselves.

Tsotsi boys were described as boys who miss classes, defy teachers’ authority, perform poorly in their grades, bully other learners and bring weapons to school, while academic boys were described as boys who conform to school rules and perform well academically. Being unruly and violent was described as a key marker of being a tsotsi boy. Many of the boys confirmed that it was common for boys to fight in the school yard.

Shaun was a creative and talented youngster, who classifed himself as an academic boy. He talked at length about the difficult relationship he had with his father, but he did not allow this to get in the way of the ambitions he had for himself. He had dreams of starting up a youth radio station. When it came to fighting at school, Shaun understood the dynamics: ‘Sometimes we feel that if I do not fight they would say that I am weak or I am scared of him. That guy would then take advantage that I did not fight him. He would then look down on me, and say awful things about me.’