MenandMasculinities:KeyThemesandNewDirections

MenandMasculinitiesisoneofthemostcomprehensivetextseverpublishedonthesociologyofmasculinity.Wide-rangingandaccessible,itconsidersallthekeythemes,conceptsandwritingsinformingthisincreasinglyimportantareaofstudy.Startingwithdiscussionofthenature/nurturedebate,FreudianandJungianperspectives,andfirst-wavewritingsonmenandmasculinity,MenandMasculinitiesexplorestheworkofkeyfeministandprofeministtheoristssuchasBobConnell,JeffHearn,MichaelKimmel,MichaelMessner,PeterNardiandLynneSegal.Inchartingtrendsandnewdirectionsinthecriticalstudyofmen,thebookhighlightsthegrowinginfluenceofpostmodernandpoststructuralistperspectives,particularlythoseofJudithButler,GillesDeleuze,MichelFoucaultandJacquesLacan.Furtheruniquefeaturesincludeadetailedcritiqueofhegemonicmasculinity;anelaborationofmasculinityasdiscourse;andanintroductiontotheconceptofthemasculinesubject.Inthecourseofitsdevelopmentoverrecentdecades,thesociologyofmasculinityhasexpandedtocovermostaspectsofsocialandculturalenquiry.Inresponsetothis,MenandMasculinitiesbroachesadiverserangeofissues,includingmasculinityandmateriality,masculinityincrisis,sexuality,malepower,identity,thepoliticsofmasculinity,andthemaleroleinmanagement,relationshipsandfamilies.Itdetailskeywritingsonmasculinitywhilealsosignallingemergingareasofresearchintomenatthebeginningofthenewmillennium,suchasage,leisureandgaymalefriendships.Itwillbeaninvaluableresourceacrossanumberofdisciplines,includingsociology,genderstudies,culturalstudies,psychologyandanthropology.