Masculine Identities

Informationen zum Autor Herbert Sussman Klappentext This book provides an intriguing look at the long history of the changing definitions of what it means to "be a man," identifying both the continuity and disparity in these ideals and explaining the contemporary crisis of masculinity. In the classical Athens of Plato and Pericles, erotic relations between adolescents and adult men-what we now revile as pedophilia-was the marker of manliness; a clear example of how concepts of masculinity shift. Even within modern western society, there are conflicting ideals for men; they are expected to be both aggressive and unemotional in business, and sensitive and caring as a father and lover. Masculine Identities: The History and Meanings of Manliness provides a comprehensive consideration of what "being a man" has meant over time. A fascinating read for men and women alike, it examines masculine identities that emerged in the past and continue into the present, such as the warrior, the democratic man, the craftsman, the self-made man of business, as well as ethnic forms of manliness. The work concludes by examining the contemporary issues of male sexuality, same-sex identity, and the conflicts within men in the modern world. Zusammenfassung This book provides an intriguing look at the long history of the changing definitions of what it means to "be a man!" identifying both the continuity and disparity in these ideals and explaining the contemporary crisis of masculinity. Inhaltsverzeichnis Acknowledgments Introduction: Thinking about Men1. Man as Warrior2. Athens and the Emergence of Democratic Man3. The Craftsman4. Economic Man and the Rise of the Middle Class5. I Am a Man: African-American Masculine Identities6. Jewish-American Masculine Identities7. Same-Sex Desire and Masculine IdentityConclusion: Masculine Identities Now Notes Glossary Bibliography Index

Autorentext

Herbert Sussman

Klappentext

This book provides an intriguing look at the long history of the changing definitions of what it means to "be a man," identifying both the continuity and disparity in these ideals and explaining the contemporary crisis of masculinity. In the classical Athens of Plato and Pericles, erotic relations between adolescents and adult men-what we now revile as pedophilia-was the marker of manliness; a clear example of how concepts of masculinity shift. Even within modern western society, there are conflicting ideals for men; they are expected to be both aggressive and unemotional in business, and sensitive and caring as a father and lover. Masculine Identities: The History and Meanings of Manliness provides a comprehensive consideration of what "being a man" has meant over time. A fascinating read for men and women alike, it examines masculine identities that emerged in the past and continue into the present, such as the warrior, the democratic man, the craftsman, the self-made man of business, as well as ethnic forms of manliness. The work concludes by examining the contemporary issues of male sexuality, same-sex identity, and the conflicts within men in the modern world.

Inhalt

Acknowledgments Introduction: Thinking about Men 1. Man as Warrior 2. Athens and the Emergence of Democratic Man 3. The Craftsman 4. Economic Man and the Rise of the Middle Class 5. I Am a Man: African-American Masculine Identities 6. Jewish-American Masculine Identities 7. Same-Sex Desire and Masculine Identity Conclusion: Masculine Identities Now Notes Glossary Bibliography Index