The new men's studies (TNMS), developed since the mid-1980's, have been widely influenced by feminist thought and have engaged with the issues of power and oppression in developing a theoretical approach toward masculinity. The framework presented here recognizes that masculinity not a fixed concept, but is experienced by individual men as a result of their identity and position in society. The way in which young men, particularly those unemployed or still in school, can be seen as a form of masculinity is specifically related to their identity and youth. This approach explains how working class young men engage in crime as an alternative means of accessing the culture of masculinity and displaying the qualities it promotes in a patriarchal society. Research findings indicate that joyriders are at an extreme end of a continuum of risk-taking, performance-oriented behavior, and display of masculinity. The implications of these findings for a motor project, which has been undertaken in Britain in recent years as a solution to the increase in car crime, are discussed. 49 references