Global masculinities and manhood

Description

" Bringing together an array of interdisciplinary voices, Global Masculinities and Manhood examines the concept of masculinity from the perspectives of cultures around the world. In the era of globalization, masculinity continues to be studied in a Western-centric context. Contributors to this volume, however, deconstruct the history and politics of masculinities within the contexts of the cultures from which they have been developed, examining what makes a man who he is within his own culture. Highlighting manifestations of masculinity in countries including Jamaica, Turkey, Peru, Kenya, Australia, and China, scholars from a variety of disciplines grapple with the complex politics of identity and the question of how gender is interpreted and practiced through discourse. Topics include how masculinity is affected by war and conflict, defined in relation to race, ethnicity, and sexuality, and expressed in cultural activities such as sports or the cinema. Contributors are Bryant Keith Alexander, Molefi K. Asante, Murali Balaji, Radhika Chopra, Maurice Hall, Ronald L. Jackson II, Shino Konishi, Nil Mutluer, Mich Nyawalo, Kathleen Glenister Roberts, Margarita Saona, and Kath Woodward"-- "Global Masculinities and Manhood sets out to deconstruct the history and politics of cultured masculinities within the contexts that produced them. After the Foucauldian revolution in critical media studies, the study of masculinity has concentrated mainly on the construction of manhood and its impact on gendered discourses. In the era of globalization, masculinity continues to be studied in a Western-centric context, interrogating images of masculinity on a global scale but taking implicitly white American manhood as the norm. Bringing together an array of interdisciplinary and multi-theoretical voices, this volume examines masculinity from several perspectives: politics of identity, cultural definitions of masculinity across the globe, and how masculinity is interpreted and practiced through discourse. Three major themes guide the essays in this book: defining masculinity in the global sphere; mediated representations of masculinity; and the cultural practice of masculinity as a local and global phenomenon. Ultimately, the essays seek to answer the question: "What makes a man who he is within his culture?" This volume will appeal to critical studies scholars in communications, anthropology, literature, political science, history, international studies, ethnic studies, gender and women's studies, philosophy and sociology. Addressing both a national and international audience, the book has a wide potential audience and many of the contributing writers come from outside the United States and the United Kingdom"--

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