Masculinities

This book is a must-have for all students of men's studies--in fact, for all gender related--courses. The book is truly interdisciplinary. Dr. Raewyn Connell is a leading sociologist from Australia. She combines her past academic efforts in education, political science, and feminism and over two decades of ethnographic studies on men and masculinities to develop her theory for understanding masculinities. Her "hegemonic masculinity" concept is widely cited, critiqued, and reformulated across academic disciplines. However those with little background in sociology and feminism might find it a little bit difficult to read. Among many fundamental texts on the studies of men and masculinities, this one belongs to the "sociology" camp, rather than the "psychology" camp. Though I come from psychology background, I found the points in this book very refreshing, stimulating, and challenging. Though the original edition was published in 1995 and Connell made little changes in the revised edition (she only added a new overview chapter and an epilogue), many ideas in the book still hold true today. This is not a happy thing to celebrate, because that means a certain group of men with socio-political power are still dominant and "hegemonic" in the society (with the "help" of "complicit" men) over the "marginalized" and "subordinated" groups of men, and women too. The book is a pioneer in advocating the plural forms of masculinities/sexualities/gender identities, which is a common acceptance in gender studies field now. I have attended a 3-day workshop on masculinities by Dr. Connell in 2006 in Taiwan. I was very impressed by her wide knowledge and enthusiasm on this topic. I don't agree with another reviewer that Connell only talked about limited aspects of masculinity in one country in this book. In fact, Connell offers several qualitative studies with wide range of men across different occupations, race, and social economic status, for example, unemployed youths, environmental activists, former athletes...etc. Her more recent studies even examine the interplay between globalization and masculinities (especially in the top multi-nation companies) and can be found in academic journals. Overall, this book is a classic and worth reading again and again. It's very useful for me in thinking about gender relations, social issues and conducting qualitative studies with men. I highly recommend it!!

The academic enterprise seems, at times,to be a relentless assault on common sense. Perhaps nothing seems more obvious and commonsensical than the fact of two genders. Connell attacks the obviousness being male in this volume. He writes clearly about the social construction of various ways of being a man. The center piece of the book is comprised of case studies of four Australian men who exemplify quite different masculinities. The second edition helpfully updates the bibliography.

This is a remarkable book. The breadth of scholarship & familiarity with 20th century intellectual history, is impressive. Historical development of ideas is presented concisely but accurately. The case presentation technique is also very effective. It is a dense book, slow going, but it is worth it: there are some really original and important ideas here, and very relevant since the debacle of the November elections. Even the bibliography is worth the price of entrance.A little anecdote perhaps of interest: I first read this book as an interlibrary loan thru my local public library. As it turns out, the copy they obtained was from, of all places, the Naval Academy. Perhaps not surprisingly, the copy I received was brand new, had never ever been cracked open once by a midshipman... Glean from that what you will!

Book Review: R.W. Connell’s MasculinitiesThe feminist evolution towards understanding masculinity is mired in an unconscionable search for why men are violent and abusive toward women. This is apparent in the college curriculum on Men and Masculinities developed by the American Men’s Studies Association. Instead of being drawn from clear-thinking analysis and unbiased research, the AMSA program is riddled with untruths and self-serving feminist propaganda, including numerous references to the work of R.W. Connell.Ms. Connell is an Australian trans-woman who has written nearly a dozen books, including Masculinities, which some have described as a “classic” and “essential reading for students taking courses on masculinities and gender studies.” Admittedly, her writing is warm and inviting, much like her lectures. But after digging more deeply into her most famous work, it’s clear there is less here than meets the eye. Her wide-ranging discussions appear to be guided by an obsession with her competing masculine and feminine identities, and she repeatedly fails to offer up any interesting revelations or helpful solutions.Indeed, her seemingly unquenchable thirst to explore and analyze the science of masculinity might be better described as a tortured hunt for her own masculinity. She rambles on endlessly, leaving almost no stone unturned, as she wends her way through tedious discussions on men, gay and straight. And yet, all her efforts prove for naught. She doesn’t leave us with smart takeaways or a profound understanding. She says much but offers little about the essence of her chosen subject.In the end, Ms. Connell’s review of the history of masculinity only manages to conclude what feminists have been saying since they hijacked the women’s equality movement many years ago: the masculine skills that have helped humanity to survive a harsh and unforgiving world should only be viewed as violent aggression, aimed at oppressing and harming females. Her concept of “hegemonic masculinity,” which simplistically characterizes males as dominant and controlling, is merely a restatement of the feminist mantra, resting on a foundation of bogus data.However, the statistics tell a different story. According to a survey highlighted in The Advocate, 35.4% of women living in same-sex relationships experienced intimate-partner physical violence in their lifetimes, nearly double the 20.4% rate for those involved in heterosexual relationships. In addition, a Harvard study found that women were the perpetrators in 70% of relationships where there was one-sided violence. Finally, research detailed in the Journal of Public Health revealed that almost 24% of relationships experienced some violence; in nearly half (49.7%), the intimate-partner violence was reciprocal.As with others who promulgate feminist nonsense, Connell engages in a superficial analysis of topics ranging from pubic hair to patriarchy, and from social construction to biological influences, drawing on a dossier of historical and international “research” on masculinity. Unfortunately, unlike genuine truth-seekers, Ms. Connell does not reach conclusions that are based on hard evidence. Rather, what Masculinities does is to serve as a diatribe in favor of vilifying men and emasculating them into a nonaggressive state so that women can compete on a supposedly more level playing field.And while Ms. Connell does raise some important concerns, including the gender pay gap and gender inequality in certain fields, she offers no real solutions. She doesn’t address, for example, how to move more women into the world of movers-and-shakers (e.g., business and politics), nor does she acknowledge the absence of women in the lower ranks (e.g., agriculture, transportation, and construction). Not even mentioned are the segments where women are overrepresented. Even though there is a strong case to be made that current circumstances stem from an evolutionary race for survival, she has apparently decided she’s having none of that.Instead of directing blame to where it doesn’t belong, Ms. Connell might benefit from taking a good look at what has actually gone on. For one thing, women have only entered the workplace in a significant way over the past six decades. While things were clearly not acceptable to many people the way they were before the turnabout, the reality is that 60 years or so is a very short period of time given how long men have been carrying on.And yet, since 1960 women have displaced a growing number of men in such fields as healthcare, social services, and education. They now account for nearly half of the overall U.S. workforce, including 40% of all management roles, a nearly three-fold jump. They have also made considerable strides in education: 10% more women are securing college-level or higher degrees, while the number of females with at least a bachelor’s degree has risen from 5% to 38%. If this doesn’t represent the shift toward equality that Ms. Connell and her ilk say they are in favor of, what does?Instead of advocating ideas and initiatives that seem destined to turn back the clock to a less progressive time, those who are focused on men and masculinities should sit back and start acknowledging certain realities. One reason why humanity has managed to survive as long as it has is because of the efforts of men, who have proven themselves adept at adapting, mutating and enduring to their advantage. By incorporating this understanding, men’s studies programs could be transformed from intellectual wastelands into sources of inspiration and insight on achieving success.Quite simply, there is no need to teach boys and men to be more feminine, to soften their nature, or to alter the way they interact with and contribute to society. By simply being who they are, they have set the standard that many women appear to be striving for. In truth, it is women who need to rethink and reorient themselves and their perspectives. They must be challenged to uncover and expand their capabilities, strategies, talents and support systems to reach their full potential, in the workplace and everywhere else.

This is a basic reading if one is interested in gender theories as a whole, and it gives you some deep understanding on the concept of masculinity and what to understand by it.

Was looking for information for an essay. The book was suitable

not too cheap, fast delivery

A great overview of the field with clear explanations placed in a wider context.

A book that gives a lot of perspective and knowledge on what we've come to accept as evident. Masculinity as well a femininity a result of social constructions. I used it for my masters as my main theoretical reference. It's easy to use as such and on different empirical material.

great book, an historical overview of the way masculinity has been constructed throuhout the years

Essential book for anyone looking to explore the subject of masculinities and masculine identity.

Melhor livro! Esperando a edição em português!