in conflict societies a strict division of sexual labour is enforced and highly dichotomic understandings of femininity and masculinity become hegemonic gendered dichotomies self other friendenemy masculinityfemininity just warrior beautiful soul elshtein contribute to postulate the other as an existential threat the warrior the conflict s hegemonic masculinity is a male identity karner shaped by purging on individual symbolic and structural levels typically feminine characteristics such as compassion feeling and forgiveness