Men & Masculinities: A Social, Cultural, and Historical Encyclopedia [2 volumes]

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Description

The first encyclopedia to analyze, summarize, and explain the complexities of men's lives and the idea of modern manhood. The stereotypes of men in popular culture, from hairychested movie stars to rough-hewn heroes, do not alone represent masculinity. In fact, there are many ways to define masculine behavior, from revealing one's "feminine side" to consuming vast quantities of beer. Now, a leading scholar explores the origins, structures, and dynamics of masculinity in a unique new reference work. The process of "making masculinity visible" has been going on for over two decades and has produced a prodigious and interesting body of work. But until now the subject had no authoritative reference source. Men & Masculinities, a pioneering two-volume work, now corrects the oversight by summarizing the latest historical, biological, cross-cultural, psychological, and sociological research on the subject. It also looks at literature, art, and music from a gender perspective. The contributors are experts in their specialties and their work is directed, organized, and co-edited by one of the premier scholars in the field, Michael Kimmel. The coverage brings together for the first time our considerable knowledge of men and manhood, focusing on such areas as sexual violence, intimacy, pornography, homophobia, sports, pro-feminist men, rituals, sexism, and many other important subjects. Clearly, this unique reference is a valuable guide to students, teachers, writers, policymakers, journalists, and others who seek a fuller understanding of gender in the United States.

Reviews

"Offer[s] substantial articles on a wide range of relevant topics, individuals, creative works and characters, theories, and events that over centuries have shaped the notion of American masculinity and its implications for men and women ... Long-perhaps too long-in coming, [this] informative encyclopedia demonstrate[s] the maturity of the men's movement and the interdisciplinary breadth of men's studies since these began to emerge three decades ago. [It] will provide information, help clarify the issues in play, and raise the consciousness of many not yet aware of the vitality of this small movement and its related academic discipline ... [We] advise that reference collections in academic and large public libraries make [this] available to their users." - Booklist "[T]he editors of this two-volume work ... take a refreshingly practical approach to organizing its material ... valuable expansion on the available reference literature on gender issues and men as participants in gender dynamics. This work is most suitable for the reference collections of large public, college, and university libraries." - American Reference Books Annual "Kimmel and Aronson have compiled a comprehensive and authoritative encyclopedia that will find a niche in male studies. No previous encyclopedia has specifically addressed the study of men and masculinities ... Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and higher." - Choice "Recommended for reference collections in academic and public libraries." - Reference & User Services Quarterly "[A] work involving editors and many contributors with distinguished research and publishing records in the field of gender studies ... Readers interested in learning more about current research trends and theoretical perspectives in an important new field of gender studies will unquestionably benefit from browsing through Men and Masculinities." - C&RL News

Author Bio

Michael Kimmel is professor of sociology at State University of New York, Stony Brook, NY, and the author of Manhood in America, The Gendered Society and Men's Lives. He is founder and editor of the journal Men and Masculinities. Amy Aronson, PhD, is a professional writer and the U.S. editor of the international quarterly Media History.