Men and Masculinity,

by Joseph H. Pleck and Richard Headstrom

a year of favorite observations in the world of nature This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 013574377X
• ISBN13: 9780135743775
• Release Date: January 1986
• Publisher: Prentice Hall
• Length: 246 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Men, masculinity and the mens movement

This is an early product of the so-called Mens Movement. The Mens Movement began as a result of the Womens Movement, when men began to be challenged by women to view and treat them differently, "as equals" as it were. Some men reacted by looking at themselves more closely, and the whole concept of masculinity, and began to recognize that men in fact were also victims of patriarchy. Men are expected to conform to a certain ideal that defines them as "real men" and this, traditionaly, (according to feminists and members of the mens movement) has meant objectifying women, being dominant and oppressive, violent, competitive, etc. The articles in this book address these issues, and in some cases document how men attempted to redefine masculinity. Now that it has been thirty years since the book was published, it is safe to say that the Mens Movement hasn't been a great success, although men have changed somewhat (whether feminists want to admit it or not). Why the Mens Movement has failed is a matter of debate. All things considered, I just don't think that men at that time felt any necessity to change--it's hard to convince someone who has it good that they need to change--and that others felt threatened or simply thought the whole concept amusing. And then there are the feminists who have derided such initiatives by men, claiming that men, as the dominant sex, don't need liberation, and that such an idea simply constitutes a backlash, etc. etc. Whatever the case, the book does after all this time contain much that is relevant and useful, and if you're interested in the subject may be worth tracking down.