Through the analyses of 120 in-depth interviews, the present study reconstructs the representations of work and masculinity of Peruvian urban men today. The results show that, although work is the key dimension of their gender identity, it is also the sphere of their lives that has undergone the most dramatic changes during the last decades. This is due to the growing participation of women in the work market and the impact of the shift towards a model of flexible employment. Although these changes have profound consequences that affect men’s self-esteem it has not led them to question the hegemonic model of masculinity. © 2000 European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes.