Mythopoetic Perspectives of Men's Healing Work: An Anthology for Therapists and Others

(Hardback)

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Midlife is the stage of generativity versus stagnation. As a man realizes that he has lived more than half of his life, he will look for new ways to be generative with his family, as a father, in his community, and to others in general. Otherwise, he runs the risk of stagnation. There is little-published theory, research, or evaluation of men's programs for men at midlife. There is even less of these types of materials published about men at midlife involved in activities structured in a mythopoetic perspective or about men actively involved in mythopoetic men's work. This volume fills that void.

Reviews

"Barton provides the most thoughtful analysis to date of the mythopoetic men's movement. This wide-ranging well balanced book will be useful to students of gender studies as well as to therapists working with men."-Douglas Hindman, Ph.D. Clinical Psychologist Professor Emeritus Eastern Kentucky University
"Barton, long known for his commitment to the mythopoetic branch of the Men's Movement, has produced a valuable anthology of essays by sociologists, psychologists, counselors, and narratologists, to undergird the validity of the healing which so many men find within mythopoetics."-Philip Culbertson The College of Saint John the Evangelist author of New Adam (1992), Counseling Men (1994), and Caring for God's People (2000)
"Barton's anthology goes well beyond Iron John and Fire in the Belly to take an unblinking, scholarly look at 'the men's movement, ' the death of which has been erroneously reported. Mythopoetic Perspective of Men's Healing Work offers a philosophically sound and carefully delineated conceptualization of the mythopoetic approach to the study of men....This collection is important to anyone aspiring to any depth of knowledge, appreciation, and capability with regard to the men's movement.'"-Robert E. Lee, Ph.D., F.A. Clin.P.: Clinical Director Marital and Family and Child Ecology Michigan State University
"Ed Barton deserves much credit for putting together this anthology of articles focused on the mythopoetic approach to men's issues....This work should prove to be a tremendously useful resource for anyone teaching a college or university level course on men's issues or on gender."-Ralph H. Johnson University Professor of Philosophy University of Windsor Windsor Ontario, Canada and Past Chairman The Windsor-Detroit Board The ManKind Project
"Ed Barton has collected powerful, pertinent and useful ideas, wisdom and strength in his anthology. A must read for men and women."-John Lee Author of The Flying Boy and Facing The Fire
"I recommend it for all members of the ManKind Project as well as anyone else working with men, their relationships, and their families of whatever configuration."-Charles G. Heisinger, Jr. Former Executive Director The ManKind Project
"I think Mythopoetic Perspective on Men's Healing Work is an excellent collection of essays on the theoretical and practical aspects of an important strand of the men's movement. It will be of use to scholars, therapists and others interested/involved in the movement. The relevance of such a book to the U.S. is obvious, but I think it will also benefit those concerned with Men's Studies/Movements elsewhere in the world. I strongly endorse and recommend this book for publication."-Mangesh Kulkarni Convener Forum for the Study of Indian Masculinities
"I was very impressed by the standard of work....This is a serious book worthy of attention from anyone who wants to know about the Bly version of the mythopoetics men's movement."-John Rowan
"This is an amazing historical piece of work....This book draws from an extensive variety of sources to present a contemporary men's work history with a heart. The author has been there and done his work to make this research come alive."-William L. Kauth, M.S. Co-founder of the New Warrior Training Adventure and author of A Circle of Men: The Original Manual for Men's Support Groups
"This is an extremely valuable book for all those who are men, care about men, and work with men.... I highly recommend the book to all those who care about men, boys, our families, and our communities."-Jed Diamond Author of Male Menopause and The Warrior's Journey Home: Healing Men, Healing the Planet
"This is an important book for men and women doing men's work of therapy on men....It gives hope for a better dialogue between groups who are fighting for the same goal."-Jorgen Lorentzen Associate Professor of Department of Comparative Literature University of Oslo, Norway
"For therapists, this book is a good introduction to a rapidly growing body of theory in men's psychology. It is important on two fronts. Firstly, it births the beginning of more mainstream academic investigation in this area (previous texts have been based in grassroots experience and relatively little formal academic investigation has been conducted in this field), and secondly because the volume provides a broad range of opinion and debate....[M]ythopoetic Perspectives of Men's Healing Work offers the reader a number of important psychosocial entry points into this rapidly expanding men's movement. The text is a good base from which more specific enquiry may extend, and educates the reader in most of the fundamental issues at play in this this arena. Barton's book may be seen as a brave attempt to capture some of the seminal debates in a relatively under researched field that is growing in both depth and scope, and which is influencing some of our fundamental assuptions about men."-Mantis Winter 2002
A useful recruiting tool for any psychologically-inclined professionals you may know who have limited exposure to the movement, and for any open-minded intellectuals.-Everyman: A Men's Journal
At last, a serious, wide-ranging exploration of the mythopoetic men's movement and its application, especially in the ManKind Project. This book provides a a wide range of insights and information that advance the debate and offer new opportunities for understanding and integration.-Journal of Men's Studies
For therapists, this book is a good introduction to a rapidly growing body of theory in men's psychology. It is important on two fronts. Firstly, it births the beginning of more mainstream academic investigation in this area (previous texts have been based in grassroots experience and relatively little formal academic investigation has been conducted in this field), and secondly because the volume provides a broad range of opinion and debate....[M]ythopoetic Perspectives of Men's Healing Work offers the reader a number of important psychosocial entry points into this rapidly expanding men's movement. The text is a good base from which more specific enquiry may extend, and educates the reader in most of the fundamental issues at play in this this arena. Barton's book may be seen as a brave attempt to capture some of the seminal debates in a relatively under researched field that is growing in both depth and scope, and which is influencing some of our fundamental assuptions about men.-Mantis Winter 2002
I found the book to be very readable and an extremely thorough study of men's work and its impact on society....Mythopoetic men's work is a valuable resource for men of all ages.-The Loving Brotherhood Newsletter
There is even less of these types of materials published about men at midlife involved in activities structured in a mythopoetic perspective or about men actively involved in mythopoetic men's work. This volume fills that void.-Mythology Book for Men
"A useful recruiting tool for any psychologically-inclined professionals you may know who have limited exposure to the movement, and for any open-minded intellectuals."-Everyman: A Men's Journal
"At last, a serious, wide-ranging exploration of the mythopoetic men's movement and its application, especially in the ManKind Project. This book provides a a wide range of insights and information that advance the debate and offer new opportunities for understanding and integration."-Journal of Men's Studies
"I found the book to be very readable and an extremely thorough study of men's work and its impact on society....Mythopoetic men's work is a valuable resource for men of all ages."-The Loving Brotherhood Newsletter
"There is even less of these types of materials published about men at midlife involved in activities structured in a mythopoetic perspective or about men actively involved in mythopoetic men's work. This volume fills that void."-Mythology Book for Men

Author Bio

EDWARD READ BARTON is in the Department of Family and Child Ecology, Michigan State University, East Lansing.