Abstract: It is commonly observed that masculinity is in crisis nowadays. What has brought this about, and how is the problem being represented and analyzed discursively? This work addresses these questions in the course of introducing readers to some dominant discourses about masculinity currently associated with the academic institutionalization of men's studies, which has developed out of both feminist theory and gay political activist theory in the 1960s. Masculinity is treated here not as a singular essence common to all men at all times but as a culturally variable construction which results in a wide range of masculinities and male identities, some of which meet with disapproval in the kind of patriarchal culture which this book critiques. Topics discussed include phallocentrism, male sexuality (both heterosexual and homosexual), and socially marginal identities such as homosexuals and cross-dressers. In addition to describing and critiquing the discourse of masculinities at this theoretical level, the book also analyzes the representation of masculinities in a wide range of texts. These include Bartok's opera Bluebeard's castle, the films Tootsie and Some Like it Hot and recent media reports of the legal consequences of publishing without his consent a nude photograph of a Rugby League player.
Publication Year: 1994
Publication Date: 1994-01-01
Language: en
Type: book
Access and Citation
Cited By Count: 141
AI Researcher Chatbot
Get quick answers to your questions about the article from our AI researcher chatbot