LESSON 14 MEN AND MASCULINITIES

Lesson Objectives:
This modules discusses the many faces of men and masculinities. It
also discusses themes of masculinity and its relationship with well-being,
fathering,domestic roles, and drug and alcohol use. This module finally deals with
hegemonic, protest, and caring masculinities. At the end of this module you are
expected to:
1. Understand fully men’s studies and the constructs of masculinity;
2. Know fully the themes of masculinity and its relationship well- being
fathering, domestic roles, and drug and alcohol use; and
3. Comprehend hegemonic, protest, and caring masculinities.
Definition of terms:
 Masculinities- a social , cultural, and historical construction of men
dependent on and related to other factors such as class, ethnicity, sexuality,
age , and disability.
 Hegemonic masculinity- form of masculinity which is culturally dominant in
a given setting .
 Protest masculinity- form of masculinity which is culturally dominant in
marginalized setting.
 Caring masculinity- proposes that mean are able to adopt what is viewed as
traditionally feminine characteristics.
Introduction
Since 1970’s studies on different aspects of manhood (from men the labor
market to men in the family in the violent men, etc.) were made. By the 20th
century , the number of these studies increase dramatically.
A growing body of literature theorizing men and masculinities focuses on a variety
of topics including men’s violence, fatherhood, pornography, men’s crimes ,female
masculinity, male femininity, etc. These studies arose despite the clear dominance
of men over global economic and political power.
Men make up a large majority of corporate executive , top professionals , and
holders of public office. World wide , men held 93% of cabinet-level post and
1996 and most top positions in international agencies (Gierycz 1999).
Essentialist views of gender are still popular and constantly reinforced in the
media. However, they are increasingly under challenge, not only in biology
(Fausto-Sterling 1992) but also in everyday life. Rise of the women’s liberation
movement, and many feminisms that have followed on from it , produced a
massive disturbance in the gender system and people’s assumption about gender.
Large number of men now acknowledge that their position is under challenge, that
what they once took for granted about must be re-thought, making men’s studies
and masculinity become popular.

Men’s Rights Lobby

One of the main founding texts of this lobby is by Warren Farrell, in his work, The
myth of male power : why are men the disposable sex? (1994). According to him:
“Men are now the gender victims as a result of feminism having gone to far, with
men having increase responsibilities but few rights around issues of marriage,
divorce, custody and access to children.”
Modern legislation is seen to be over protective of women’s interests, resulting in
discrimination against men at a time when they are under increasing threat with in
a rapidly changing society.
Still , some researchers argue that this pro-male movements were only a reaction
to feminism-an attempt to accused women and feminists for creating problems that
men encounter in society.