Young men, public space and the production of fear in downtown Adelaide

This article considers the interconnection between certain spaces and 'fear-inducing' masculine gender performances. Particularly, it looks at the night-time use of downtown spaces by young men, reconsidering existing theory and developing new methodology to examine how and why young men use specific areas to engage in aggressive, hypermasculine gender performances. By considering issues of space and gender alongside use of new media, this article suggests a method of investigating the production of fear by reviewing the cultural and spatial literacies of those who reputedly produce it.