Masculinities

📘 About This Book

Here is a powerful reply to Iron John, a fresh look at the complicated nature of what R.W. Connell calls "masculinities." One of the most important voices in the new feminist scholarship by men, Connell provides a nuanced and incisive analysis of how our notions of masculinity have evolved in psychoanalysis, social science, and historically in the creation of a global economy. There is not one but many masculinities, he claims, in a bold critique of the "men's movement" and other simplistic approaches to sexual identity. Instead, Connell delineates the complicated dynamics of masculine politics and recent changes in male identity. Drawing on rich ethnographic work, Connell offers portraits of dozens of men of different classes, some working to change masculinities, some resisting change. Eel openly disparages his wife: "The first chance I can see to get rid of her, she's gone." Mark, who calls himself "a very straight gay," thinks men should behave in traditionally masculine ways. "If you're a guy why don't you just act like a guy?" he asks. Danny, undertaking the "long haul" of his own sexism, admits, "It's hard not to be aggressive sometimes." Connell offers the first critical history of ideas and the most sophisticated theoretical analysis of masculinity to date. His attempts to understand changes in male identity and to think about these issues on a global scale are unique. Integrating social science, feminist theory, gay theory, and psychoanalysis in an innovative yet unusually accessible way, he develops a new theory of masculinity politics. This is a book for everyone interested in the history of western masculinities and the sexual politics of the contemporary era.

📖 Summary

Raewyn Connell's influential 1995 book Masculinities offers a powerful and nuanced exploration of male identity, serving as a vital reply to simplistic cultural touchstones like Iron John. Rather than viewing manhood as a singular, uniform state of being, Connell boldly argues that there is not one, but many masculinities. Through an incisive analysis spanning psychoanalysis, social science, and historical developments within the global economy, the author dismantles reductive approaches to sexual identity. Instead, Connell maps out the complicated dynamics of masculine politics and the recent shifts in male identity, providing a comprehensive framework for understanding how gender is lived and experienced. At the core of Connell's argument is a rejection of essentialist views on men and gender. Drawing heavily on rich ethnographic work, the book features vivid portraits of dozens of men from diverse social classes. Some of these individuals are actively working to reshape and change traditional masculinities, while others fiercely resist change, clinging to older paradigms. This grounded approach allows readers to see the theoretical concepts of gender dynamics manifested in real-world behaviors, attitudes, and conflicts. Furthermore, Connell positions herself as one of the most important voices in the new feminist scholarship by men, offering a critical look at the contemporary men's movement. By examining how societal notions of masculinity have evolved across different disciplines and historical contexts, the book provides readers with the analytical tools needed to understand power structures, class differences, and the creation of a global economy that continuously shapes what it means to be a man. Masculinities remains an essential read for anyone seeking a deeper, sociological, and psychological understanding of gender in the modern world.

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