bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Exploration of Men's Experience and Role at Childbirth
Authors: Johnson Martin P.
Published: May 2007

Over the last three decades, in the UK, there has been a marked increase in the number of men accompanying their partners in hospital labour wards at the birth of their child. This study discusses the findings of a survey of a cohort of 53 such men following the delivery of their child and explores the experience of a sub-sample of 20 of these men through face-to-face interviews. The response of these males is examined in relation to a number of appropriate “roles” at attendance, i.e., “teammate,” “witness,” and “coach.” Overall, the majority of men reported a positive and emotionally uplifting experience, but a number of negative aspects were also identified. Several men were unable to clearly identify a defined role or functional purpose in their attendance. Further there is considerable confusion as to who is responsible for the decision for their attendance. The study highlights there are some negative aspects to men attending their child's birth, but these are related to under-preparedness and obligatory role adoption that possibility may conflict with men's own reasons for attending the birth.
The Inventory of Father Involvement: A Pilot Study of a New Measure of Father Involvement
Authors: Hawkins Alan J. , Bradford Kay P. , Palkovitz Rob , Christiansen Shawn L. , Day Randal D. , Call Vaughn R. A.
Published: May 2007

As the study of fathering has matured in recent years, fathering scholars have recognized the need for richer, broader measures of the construct of father involvement (Hawkins & Palkovitz, 1999). In an effort to create a measure sensitive to affective, cognitive, and direct and indirect behavioral components of involvement, 100 items were initially generated. Of these, 43 were selected for the “Inventory of Father Involvement” (IFI). Fathers ( N = 723) reported on “how good a job” they were doing on the 43 indicators of father involvement. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses yielded nine relatively distinct first-order factors, indicating a single, global second-order factor of father involvement. The final model confirms a shorter, 26-item version of the IFI that reflects a multi-dimensional concept of father involvement.
Mines, Minstrels, and Masculinity: Race, Class, Gender, and the Formation of the South African Working Class, 1870–1900
Authors: Magubane Zine
Published: May 2007

This paper argues that the discovery of diamonds in South Africa in the late nineteenth century facilitated the rapid growth of Kimberley as an urban center where black and white males were forced into close and unpredictable proximity, and where they forged relationships that alternated between mutual cooperation and dependence and fierce rivalry and competition. The rapidity with which economic relations changed threw conventional class and social relationships into upheaval and resulted in a tremendous amount of class-based anxiety and insecurity on the part of European males. These anxieties and insecurities were not only caused by the presence of black men as sources of economic competition but were also projected onto them in the form of fantasies about hyper-sentient black male bodies. The figure of the “Dandy,” a trope from the American blackface minstrelsy tradition, became a cultural symbol for expressing and managing class and race insecurity.
Of Masks, Mimicry, Misogyny, and Miscegenation: Forging Black South African Masclinity in Bloke Modisane's Blame Me on History
Authors: Goldsmith Meredith
Published: May 2007

This essay analyzes the dilemma of black male South African intellectuals of the 1950s, of whom autobiographer Bloke Modisane was a pivotal example. Exiled in the aftermath of the harsh apartheid laws of the 1960s, these artists were trapped on a precarious divide between the white artistic world and the black political milieu, never fully belonging to either. Modisane uses the strategies of masking to reclaim a sense of masculinity erased by racist and colonialist exploitation; simultaneously, however, he displaces his own anxieties about acceptance by whites through misogyny, particularly toward black women. I theorize my work on Modisane through recourse to the work of Martinican psychoanalyst Frantz Fanon, who analyzes the results of a racist gaze on black male identity formation, and postcolonial theorist Homi Bhabha, who posits mimicry as a mode of partial self-affirmation for colonized subjects.
Men, Movements, and Gender Transformation in South Africa
Authors: Morrell Robert
Published: May 2007

In the last decade, South Africa has undergone a major political transformation. The ending of apartheid and the installation of a democratically elected, black majority government has had major implications for gender policy and gender relations in the country. This paper examines how men collectively have responded to these changes. It identifies a number of different men's movements and locates them in terms of their relationship to the goal of gender equity being pursued by government. It draws on the work of Mike Messner to suggest what contribution these movements might, or might not, make to gender transformation in the country. Finally, it examines the importance of race and the apartheid past to suggest that any analysis of men and gender politics should be sensitive to different understandings of gender and location within the current gender order.
Men Doing “Women's Work”: Masculinity and Gender Relations among Street Vendors in Maputo, Mozambique
Authors: Agadjanian Victor
Published: May 2007

Gender inequality in sub-Saharan urban settings is perpetuated through the differences in men's and women's positions in the labor market. However, rising unemployment and increasing informalization of the economy that result from both the demographic structure and the structural adjustment reforms undermine men's economic advantage by pushing them into low-income and low-prestige “women's” occupations, such as street commerce. Men's entry into such niches of the labor market leads to both de-gendering and re-gendering of the workplace, which in turn questions the broader gender hierarchy and stereotypes and transforms gender relations. I analyze these occupational dynamics and their profound implications for gender identity and relations drawing primarily on in-depth interviews conducted with men street vendors in Greater Maputo, Mozambique, in 1999. The analysis of the qualitative data is complemented with insights from surveys carried out in Mozambique in the second half of the 1990s.
Sexism and Rape Culture in Moroccan Social Discourse
Authors: Conway-Long Don
Published: May 2007

In March, 1993, Hajj Mustapha Tabit was arrested in Morocco for abusing his power as a police commissioner by abducting and sexually assaulting hundreds of women over a period of thirteen years. The reaction in the local Moroccan press is examined here, demonstrating a structure of discourse that blamed female victims, elevated the male offender to a kind of cult status, and generally contributed to the perpetuation of a sexist subjectivity in a nation that was only beginning to deal with crimes against women in any organized manner. The specifics of the case study are placed in the general context of women's struggle for emancipation in Morocco.
Male-Male Sexuality in Lesotho: Two Conversations
Authors: Epprecht Marc
Published: May 2007

Lesotho has an assertively heteronormative and “macho” culture. Indeed, Basotho men have long possessed a reputation in southern Africa for being among the fiercest gangsters, toughest workers, and most incorrigible womanizers of all the African peoples of the region. In 1907 an official enquiry into “unnatural vice” at the South African mines exonerated the Basotho of homosexual behavior. Yet by 1941 another report found that the Basotho were not only enthusiastically participating in inkotshane (male-male sexual relationships) but also public cross-dressing and same-sex marriage ceremonies. Given that Lesotho was almost entirely lacking in industrial development and any significant white or Asian immigration and tourism during the colonial era, it makes an interesting test case regarding the “spreadability” of modern homosexual relations in African societies. This article examines the changes to Basotho male sexuality that took place in relation to the migrant labor system. It assesses whether, and why, male-male sexual relations were as “contagious” as some people today fear.
“I've Never Thought about It”: Contradictions and Taboos Surrounding American Males' Experiences of First Ejaculation (Semenarche)
Authors: Frankel Loren
Published: May 2007

First ejaculation research is scant, but studies reveal a contradiction: The majority of males report positive reactions to the event, and they are curious and interested about it, but they also tell no one of the experience. These paradoxical reactions—interest and silence—can be explained by a first ejaculation taboo in contemporary America. The quantitative and qualitative results of the current study, the first to investigate the perspectives of parents of early adolescent sons, provide evidence for this taboo. For example, parents rarely reported that they had communicated with sons about first ejaculation, and when they were asked if they had future plans to communicate their most frequent response was neither “yes” (35%) nor “no” (12%), but “I've never thought about it” (54%). Because first ejaculation is closely linked with sexual desire, masturbation, nocturnal emission, and orgasm, parents and others may have difficulty considering its developmental implications.
Men's Reasons for and against Seeking Help for Career-Related Concerns
Authors: Rochlen Aaron B. , O'Brien Karen M.
Published: May 2007

This study categorized the responses of 77 undergraduate men to questions of why they would or would not seek career counseling. Common reasons cited for seeking career counseling included receiving advice, obtaining general career assistance, learning about job opportunities and increasing or exploring career options. Common reasons cited for not seeking career counseling included inconvenience/lack of time, preferences to solve problems alone, a lack of need for career-related assistance, and concerns about career counselors' competence. Results are discussed in terms of related literature on men's underutilization of psychological support services and ideas for increasing the appeal of career counseling to a greater range of male help-seekers.
Faludi, Fight Club, and Phallic Masculinity: Exploring the Emasculating Economics of Patriarchy
Authors: Clark J. Michael
Published: May 2007

Both Susan Faludi's Stiffed: The Betrayal of the American Man (text) and the film Fight Club (image) insist that men have been emasculated by consumerism; that the post-war legacy of the so-called good life has shifted men from active, heroic, confrontational roles into the passive, ornamental roles usually assigned to women; and that, without a Great Depression, or Great War, or any other dragon to slay, emasculated men have become imprisoned in their job cubicles and possessed by their possessions, often with not only negative, but even violent repercussions. Ecofeminism and ecotheology provide the tools for better understanding this idolatrous false god of consumerism, as well as for beginning to explore how the economics of plenty affect seemingly privileged men. Importantly, however, this study does not further privilege the already privileged, but seeks instead to understand how the globalizing economy negatively impacts both the human poor and the nonhuman ecosystems which altogether constitute our fragile planet (including population growth and environmental racism). Finally, the essay pushes beyond deconstructive criticism to explore “green” alternatives—at once returning to the masculinity/economics issues in popular culture, insisting on the need for both an economic theory and a value system that do not reduce all value to monetary terms, and seeking a renewed commitment to relational justice in ecosystemic communities. Here, Faludi and Fight Club part company, the latter focusing not on community but upon the heterosexist isolationism and individualism which others argue is a symptom, perhaps even a cause, and certainly not the solution for our current economic and environmental woes.
The Relationship between Expressions of Spiritual Faith and Parental Involvement in Three Groups of Fathers
Authors: Bollinger Brooke , Palkovitz Rob
Published: May 2007

This study explores the relationship between spiritual faith and parental involvement in three groups of fathers: evangelical Christians, Latter-day Saints, and fathers for whom faith is not central. Results indicate that all fathers were highly involved, and none of the three groups reported significantly greater involvement with their children than the others. However, fathers who were church members, regardless of affiliation with a spiritual faith group, were more involved than non-church members. In addition, fathers who were currently married for the first time were both more involved with their children and more active in their faith than their peers. This paper presents interpretations of the findings and suggestions for future research.
The Meaning of Boys' Bodies in Physical Education
Authors: Drummond Murray J. N.
Published: May 2007

Boys who are highly skilled in sports and physical activity generally have a positive body-identity. Conversely, boys perceived to be less skilled in these areas can feel disassociated from their bodies and consequently develop a poor body concept. This paper is based on in-depth interviews with boys whom physical education teachers identified as either being highly skilled or less skilled in sports and physical activities. The paper highlights the importance of physicality in boys' lives. The paper also identifies important issues that physical educators and other health professionals should appreciate.
Roman Catholic Religious Discourse about Manhood in Quebec: From 1900 to the Quiet Revolution (1960–1980)
Authors: Roussel Jean-François
Published: May 2007

This article examines discourse about men in popular Roman Catholic literature between 1900 and 1960 in Quebec. From 1940 to 1960, particular attention was paid to the spiritual life of men, whose attitude toward piety was that it was women's—not men's—business. Catholic Action movements offered alternate models and masculine rituals for Christian life. Like the 19th and early 20th century Christian men's movements in the United States, these strategies attempted to counteract the “lack of manhood” in the churches. French Canadian movements, however, tried to attract men to the church by extolling the virtues of humble obedience. Partly influenced by feminism in the ‘60s, different pastoral issues surfaced in relation to men, and the older movements declined. While men's movements previously had recourse to symbol and ritual, symbolic activity declined in favor of productive activities. This raises the issue of the place of symbolism in the construction of contemporary masculinities.
The Changing Boys' World in the 20th Century: Reality and “Fiction”
Authors: Bereska Tami M.
Published: May 2007

In university and college classrooms today gender is a hot topic and the issue that raises the most discussion is that of how much gender roles have changed or remained the same. This issue has been studied among both adults and adolescents over the last several decades in a variety of ways including analyses of popular cultural representations. However, more research has been done on representations of femininity than on masculinity in adolescent popular cultural products, and the area of young adult literature has been relatively ignored by social scientists. This paper presents the results of a study exploring the structure of masculinity in young adult novels for boys from the 1940s through the 1990s. Over this 50-year period, the components that make up the structure of masculinity remain static, indicating that at least a portion of the discourse on masculinity has remained unchanged for more than 50 years. This has implications not only for the lives of boys and men today, but also for the maintenance of patriarchy itself. In trying to create equity in society, we appear to have focused all of our attention on the girls' world, but left the boys' world virtually untouched.
“It Made Me Think, Seeing Myself like That”: Affective Literary Representations of the Inferior Masculine Self, or Good-Bye, Billy Pilgrim
Authors: Lee Terry
Published: May 2007

Stories that strongly attract or repel us can reveal a hidden and more authentic aspect of a man's masculinity that has become darkened by his adaptations to the culture's masculine gender-role paradigms. Stories can raise our consciousness about pathologies of masculinity that we unwittingly live out, and even serve, in a limited capacity, as mentors.
“What Sort of Man ReadsPlayboy?” the Self-Reported Influence ofPlayboyon the Construction of Masculinity
Authors: Beggan James K. , Allison Scott T.
Published: May 2007

Virtually no research has explored men's phenomenological experiences with sexually explicit material. The present research examined men's self-reports regarding how they felt reading Playboy magazine had affected them and influenced their conceptualization of and interactions with women. Qualitative analysis of 22 Playboy readers' self-reports indicated that first exposure to Playboy is a very memorable event, that Playboy served as a source of sex-related information, and that Playboy contributed to the development of a sexual self-concept. Playboy readers' attitudes toward Playmates lacked a misogynistic component. The possible influence of Playboy as a means of socializing boys into men is noted.
Is Ageism Alive in Date Selection among Men? Age Requests among Gay and Straight Men in Internet Personal Ads
Authors: Kaufman Gayle , Phua Voon Chin
Published: May 2007

We examine 2,400 personal ads from male advertisers collected from the Internet, focusing on age preference by race and sexual orientation. We look at whether advertisers display any age preference in personal ads and whether the preference varies by race and sexual orientation. We find that gay men are more likely than straight men to state an age preference. Also, the preference for younger partners intensifies among older advertisers regardless of race and sexual orientation. Youth is still a treasured commodity in date selection for men. However, some men, especially gay men, prefer more mature partners. At least 20 percent of gay Asian men in all three age groups prefer older partners. Further research is recommended to explore this exception among gay Asian men.
Masculinities, Change, and Conflict in Global Society: Thinking about the Future of Men's Studies
Authors: Connell R.W.
Published: May 2007

Contemporary men's studies arises from a history of debates about gender relations, men, and masculinities, yet represents a new departure based on social analysis of gender and close-focus empirical work. This approach is now becoming worldwide and has found important practical applications in areas such as education and health. Problems are increasingly recognized in the field, including dilemmas of research method and debates about ways of theorizing masculinities. New approaches emphasise discursive and situational analysis and demand a clearer recognition of global forces. Gender relations have a global dimension that shapes contemporary masculinities, for instance emerging patterns of business masculinity. The connection between violence and masculinity is a key contemporary issue. Recent research shows both institutional bases and situational triggers of gendered violence, which are important in understanding contemporary global conflict and developing strategies for peace.
Men and Nostalgia for Violence: Culture and Culpability in Chuck Palahniuk's Fight Club
Authors: Boon Kevin Alexander
Published: May 2007

Chuck Palahniuk's Fight Club (1997) addresses the identity crisis of white, heterosexual, American men in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, interrogating a paradoxical cultural environment that makes heroes of aggressive men while debasing aggressive impulses. The novel exposes contradictions within culture that obscure and confound masculinity, prompting, among men, a nostalgia for displaced traditions.
Contradictions and Tensions: Exploring Relations of Masculinities in the Numerically Female-Dominated Nursing Profession
Authors: Evans Joan , Frank Blye
Published: May 2007

The feminization of nursing constitutes a significant barrier to men choosing to enter nursing, and in part accounts for the low numbers of men in the profession. Men who choose non-traditional occupations such as nursing are at greater risk than their women counterparts of being unsupported, devalued, and even ridiculed for engaging in gender-inappropriate behavior. For the small number of men who defy prevailing gender norms by engaging in this work, the perception of a spoiled masculinity reflects the gendered and sexed relations within the profession. Men nurses are faced with the reality of defending their career choice, their contribution to nursing, and their sexuality. As a consequence, men who do nursing work are continually reminded that they are different from other men. The experience of eight men registered nurses in Nova Scotia, Canada, reveals the tensions and contradictions of men's lives in a non-traditional occupation.
“Why Doesn't He Just Leave?”: Gay Male Domestic Violence and the Reasons Victims Stay
Authors: Cruz J. Michael
Published: May 2007

This study explores domestic violence within a gay male relationship while continuing to expand on previous work regarding gay male domestic violence, in general, and specifically examines why battered gay men stay in violent and abusive relationships. Twenty-five self-identified gay or bisexual men who indicated previous experience with domestic violence in a same-sex relationship were interviewed via snowball sampling methodology. Respondents offered reasons for staying that mimic reasons battered women stay in abusive relations, such as financial dependence, love, hope for change, and fear of escalated violence. More research is needed to explore issues such as the intergenerational transmission of violence theory, gender role expectations, and gay men's relationship styles.
The Myth of Old European Feminism: The Importance of Socio-Cultural Contextual Analysis
Authors: Liberman Dov , Blazina Christopher
Published: May 2007

The authors point to the necessity of using contextual analysis when considering the interpretation of myth and social structure as it relates to issues of gender. This type of analysis is of particular importance when interpreting the cultural meaning of socio-cultural artifacts of ancient civilizations. Otherwise, we may impose the perspective of current socially constructed myth systems when interpreting the past. Viewing ancient cultures through contemporary paradigm/myth systems may lead to biased interpretations. In order to demonstrate the importance of contextual analysis and the possible errors that can result from using a predetermined, contemporary cultural perspective, a fictional account of interpretations of socio-cultural artifacts from late 19th century France is presented.
White Student Confessions about a Black Male Professor: A Cultural Contracts Theory Approach to Intimate Conversations about Race and Worldview
Authors: Jackson Ronald L. , Crawley Rex L.
Published: May 2007

In the present investigation, we seek to explore racial relationships in a meaningful way that opens discussion about racial and gendered beings, particularly Black males. We qualitatively examine White student responses to their Black male professor's presence and pedagogy in the classroom during a required course titled “Intercultural Communication.” The results indicated that the White student participants tended initially to be more critical toward their Black male professor, and over time were more accepting and trusting of him, yet not so willing to forfeit their fairly conservative views on social reality.
Exploring the Status of Black Male Faculty Utilizing Data from the National Study of Postsecondary Faculty
Authors: Flowers Lamont A. , Jones Lee
Published: May 2007

The present study utilized data from the 1993 and 1999 National Study of Postsecondary Faculty to describe the status of Black male full-time instructional faculty and staff in the academy. Data were also presented to show the degree to which certain characteristics (e.g., principle field of teaching, highest credentials attained, time spent on teaching, research, and service activities) of Black male faculty have changed in recent years. In addition, the study highlighted status measures of Black male faculty (e.g., academic rank, tenure status, and compensation) and discussed the extent to which the relative status of Black male faculty has changed during a six-year period.
Toward Administrative Diversity: An Analysis of the African-American Male Educational Pipeline
Authors: Jackson Jerlando F.L.
Published: May 2007

Using multiple national databases, this study examined African-American males throughout the educational pipeline, both as students and educational providers. Analyses of these databases provided a descriptive picture of African-American males' participation at each phase (e.g., high school completion, college enrollment, and doctoral degree completion), in comparison to White males', in an attempt to understand how this representation affects administrative diversity in higher and postsecondary education. The results suggest that in order to increase the representation of African-American males in academic administrative positions at colleges and universities, additional attention must be placed on each phase of the educational pipeline to increase the pool of eligible candidates.
Expressions of Spirituality among African-American College Males
Authors: Herndon Michael K.
Published: May 2007

In this qualitative study, spirituality among 13 African-American college males enrolled at a predominantly White institution (PWI) was investigated. Three major themes emerged: spirituality bolsters resilience; spirituality provides a sense of purpose; and spiritual support is provided by African-American religious institutions. These findings suggest that spirituality enhances African-American male students' persistence.
How Men's Movement Participants View Each other
Authors: Fox John
Published: May 2007

This study compares the opinions of men's movements' participants of each other. Nineteen profeminist, 17 men's rights, and 18 mythopoetic activists returned surveys. Overall, the respondents had little awareness of each other. The profeminist and men's rights respondents had negative views of each other, while the pro-feminists were more familiar with the mythopoetic men's issues than with men's rights issues. Further, profeminist respondents were split regarding their opinions of the mythopoetic men's movement. Men's rights respondents had lukewarm opinions of the mythopoetic men's movement, and the mythopoetic men's movement participants were not familiar enough with either the profeminist or men's rights men's movements to respond. This study shows that men's movement rhetoric is unreliable in its representation of how men's movement participants view each other.
A Regional Tradition of Gender Equity: Shanghai Men in Sydney, Australia
Authors: Da Wei-Wei
Published: May 2007

Drawn on data from in-depth interviews with 34 Chinese migrants in Sydney, Australia, this study examines the division of labor in the family, with a focus on men's housework participation and regional differences in terms of migrants' home origin in China. An observed pattern of Shanghai men's housework participation emerged that does not support the theoretical underpinnings of power/resources structure, socialization model, and exchange theory. Shanghai men's housework participation, self-identification as Shanghai men, and self-perceived gender roles suggest there is a regional tradition of gender equity in Shanghai, which has an association with early industrialization, women's participation in the work force, exposure to the Western influences in Shanghai's early history, and social changes and gender reforms in contemporary Chinese society. The findings suggest that men's roles in the family are diverse, ethnic, historic, and regionalized.
Gender Role Conflict and the Disidentification Process: Two Case Studies on Fragile Masculine Self
Authors: Blazina Christopher
Published: May 2007

This paper argues that changes to the original definition of the disidentification process are in order, including reconceptualizing the restrictive gender role behaviors from boyhood onward as an early form of gender role conflict. It is further suggested that the disidentification process consequentially harms the development and functioning of the masculine self. One may react to this process (the emotional residual of the disindentification process) by adopting one of two masculine stances in relating to self and others. One stance is characterized as moving away from self and others. This may appear as the adoption of many of the stereotypical male gender roles. The other stance is one of moving toward others in an overly dependent fashion where the affect residual of disindentification is dealt with through turning to others to help modulate its effects. Two case studies are presented.
“The Most Blatant of All Our American Myths”: Masculinity, Male Bonding, and the Wilderness in Sinclair Lewis's Mantrap
Authors: Town Caren J.
Published: May 2007

This essay explores the representation of masculinity in Sinclair Lewis's novel Mantrap. Of particular interest are changing definitions of masculinity and male friendship at the turn of the 20th century, the closing of the American frontier, and the implications of these sociohistorical changes on the literary depiction of masculine identity and male friendship. Lewis's novel highlights the tensions engendered by a nostalgia for wilderness renewal and manly love combined with a modern ethos of individual material success. In Mantrap, it is possible to see the ways in which both the wilderness and friendship disappoint the modern man. The argument in this essay has implications for the history and psychology of masculinity at the turn of the century as well as for literary studies of the ways in which masculinity is portrayed in fiction of the period.
Masculinities in Older Men: A Qualitative Study in the West of Scotland
Authors: Emslie Carol , Hunt Kate , O'Brien Rosaleen
Published: May 2007

Despite the recent interest in multiple “masculinities,” previous research has either ignored older men or implicitly treated them as without gender. In order to fill this gap in the literature, we conducted semi-structured interviews with men born in the early 1930s living in the west of Scotland. Disruptions to individual biographies (due to the illness or death of a spouse or loss of their job through redundancy) forced men to re-evaluate previously taken-for-granted attitudes to gender roles. Social class trajectories were important in shaping men's attitudes to paid work and gender roles; for example, men who were upwardly mobile were most egalitarian about the gendered division of labor in the household. More privileged men also constructed masculinity differently from less privileged men. Our findings suggest that more attention should be paid to the variety of ways in which older men “do” gender.
The “New Man” is in the House: Young Men, Social Change, and Housework
Authors: Singleton Andrew , Maher Janemaree
Published: May 2007

Many scholars and journalists argue that housework is slowly being transformed in the late-modern era, with men doing more housework, women doing less, and outside help being utilized more often. Much of this optimism is held out for the younger age groups, especially members of “Generation X” (those born between 1965 and 1979). Drawing on findings from interviews with 22 middle-class Generation X men, this article examines the meaning and value of housework for these men and the extent to which it conforms to “optimistic accounts” of change (McMahon, 1999). Contrary to popular images of the “New Man” and the “New Woman,” a picture of continuity rather than change emerges overall. Generation X men are largely disinterested in the identity and housework possibilities that flow from discourses of equity and fairness, content to be domestic “helpers.” The men's comfort with their current arrangement is identified as a major impediment in achieving equality. The only area when men's practices might be changing in any meaningful way is with respect to fathering.
We're Here, We're Queer—and We're Better Than You: The Representational Superiority of Gay Men to Heterosexuals on Queer Eye for the Straight Guy
Authors: Hart Kylo-Patrick R.
Published: May 2007

Throughout most of U.S. television history, gay men have been represented, both explicitly and implicitly, as individuals who are always already inferior to heterosexuals. Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, the makeover reality series that features five gay men improving the lives of “schlubby” straight men, reverses that representational trend. This groundbreaking television series consistently offers viewers the most positive representation of gay men on U.S. television that has ever been available to them. It does so not only by defying stereotypical media conventions but also by inverting the power dynamic between gay men and straights and encoding its experts as a band of (gay) superheroes that heterosexuals who want to live truly happy lives simply cannot live without.
Railroads, Racism, and Region: Re-Reading the Apocalyptic “Southern Grotesque”
Authors: Clark J. Michael
Published: May 2007

This brief review essay examines the intersection(s) of numerous tracks—railroads and model railroading; race, class, and gender; southern fiction, literary criticism, and apocalypse studies; and both postmodernist and autobiographical or “story” theology—insofar as these converging lines shape the theory and praxis of men's studies and liberation theology and ethics, especially for white, southern, male scholars still struggling with issues of race and region in our various disciplinary endeavors.
Evolution of Male Circumcision as Normative Control
Authors: Henerey Adam
Published: May 2007

Circumcision of infant males is the most frequently performed surgical operation in the United States. There has been an extensive debate over its merits, dating back to its inception in Judaism more than 2,000 years ago. However, the current medical debate is made irrespective of the pseudo-rationales that promote the practice. In this analysis of religion, psychology, medicine, and sociology, a pattern of coercion is defined. In each normative system, an intangible fear of unknown perils is used to promote the manifest ritual of circumcision, with the promise of reconciling the generalized fear. Research on the transmission of pseudo-rational beliefs needs to be examined so male circumcision can be adequately addressed by activist or advocate agents.
Social Networks among Elderly Men Caregivers
Authors: Russell Richard
Published: May 2007

A preponderance of the approximately one million men who care for spouses with cognitive impairment left market economy careers through normative or early retirement to enter the emotional economy of caregiving. In the process, their social networks changed radically as their work shifted from a visible and interactive world to one that was invisible and isolated. How do their social networks change? What role does social networking play in their lives as caregivers compared to their careers in the market economy? What can we learn from their accounts of social networking that will inform future research and practice? Material for this article is taken from a qualitative study of 30 elderly men caregivers that took place from 1998–2001 in Rochester, New York. From the study, three major themes emerged relative to changes in social networking: in retrospect, pre-retirement social networks were more important than previously thought, social networks for men caregivers are beneficial in lessening caregiver burden, and for many men social networking with other men proved to be of greatest benefit.
“Why Can't a Man Be More like a Woman?”: Marital Status and Social Networking of Older Men
Authors: Davidson Kate
Published: May 2007

Research indicates older lone men have an elevated risk of social isolation, but there has been little recognition of the way in which marital histories lead to the growth or attenuation of family bonds. First analysed is data from General Household Survey, a national probability based cross-sectional survey, published annually, which included a module on social relationships in 1994 and 1998. Also, interviews with 85 older married, widowed, divorced and never married men revealed that much importance was attached to individual autonomy and independence, and many held ambivalent attitudes towards central features of the “female script,” such as the need for intimacy and social engagement. These findings are interpreted in terms of the cultural prescriptions for well-being in later life that, because they are derived from the experiences of research on women, may be ill suited to the perspectives of older men.
Older Men's Social Participation: The Importance of Masculinity Ideology
Authors: Thompson Edward H. , Whearty Patrick M.
Published: May 2007

The central question was, independent of marital status and health, is the satisfaction that older men derive from their social networks linked to gender ideology? Based on the 135 older men within a larger study of community-based older adults, findings show that masculinity ideology is inversely related to the size of networks and the extent of men's social participation; however, endorsing the traditional masculinity ideology is directly associated with the satisfaction men derived from their social participation. Older men who believe in the traditional masculinity script felt satisfied in their relationships, whereas men who reject this ideology and reported a greater need to discuss private feelings had developed larger networks and increased their involvement in their networks during the year between the T1 and T2 interviews. Discussed in the context of covert and face-to-face intimacy pursuits, abiding by the cultural of hegemony masculinity seems to yield less interaction but greater satisfaction among older men.
Investigating Patterns of Social Support Use by Widowers during Bereavement
Authors: Balaswamy Shantha , Richardson Virginia , Price Christine A.
Published: May 2007

This study examined the patterns of social support available to widowers during early and late bereavement. It used a social integration framework to assess the levels of social support, social interactions, and sources of support available during bereavement. The analysis included 100 early bereaved widowers and 100 late bereaved widowers from a cross-sectional study on widowerhood among older men. Results indicated widowers from late bereavement received more instrumental and emotional support from family, friends, and neighbors than early bereaved widowers. Similarly, perceived support from friends during an emergency was greater for late bereaved widowers. While social participation in church activities was greater during early bereavement, a high percentage of these widowers indicated not having support when depressed (77%). These findings underscore the importance of emphasizing early intervention during widowerhood to prevent isolation and other negative effects of widowerhood.
The Stability and Change in the Social Support Networks of Widowers following Spousal Bereavement
Authors: Stelle Charles D. , Uchida Mitsue
Published: May 2007

Although much progress has been made in our understanding of the nature of social support, the majority of this research has involved older women and has been studied cross-sectionally. The present study comes from a life-span developmental perspective on stability and change over time that examines sex differences in the social support networks of widows (170) and widowers (25) that are compared across 12 months post-bereavement. Most levels of positive support increased from B to W1 in what appears to be a response to spousal bereavement. Sex differences generally demonstrate that widowers receive less support using various measures and across different times of measurement. These findings point to change over time, sex differences, and heterogeneity as important issues when discussing bereavement and social support.
Transforming the Personal, Political, Historical, and Sacred Faces of the Latino Male
Authors: Abalos David T.
Published: May 2007

This article takes on the challenge of what it means to be a Latino man in the United States today. The traditional cultural stories of the macho, the patriarch, the man of gallantry have become unbearable, unfruitful, and untenable for both men and women. In this time of cultural upheaval, caught between two cultures, too many Latino men continue not to know how to respond to the changes around them. Some practice manipulation, power plays, or violence against themselves and others. There is another choice, though. From the perspective of a theory of transformation the article uses the power of story; it invites us together with Latino men to participate in the most important story of our lives, the journey of transformation through the core drama of life. On our journey each of us by the very nature of our humanity has four faces by which to encounter life: a personal, political, historical, and sacred face that we practice in the service of four fundamentally different ways of life. But only in the service of transformation as a way of life are the four faces of our being fully present so that we can participate in creating new and more loving alternative ways to be a Latino man. The article offers specific characteristics that identify how in daily practice the Latino male enacts his masculinity in the service of transformation.
An Unrelenting Mental Press: Israeli Gay Men's Ontological Duality and its Discontent
Authors: Kama Amit
Published: May 2007

This study explores the linkages among 45 Israeli gay men's social circumstances and their intra- and interpersonal communication patterns and media use. The study focused on these gay men's life stories. One of the most striking themes uncovered in these autobiographies was the common thread of ontological duality: the dichotomous split between “normal” and “abnormal.”
The Producing Male Body in Willa Cather's “Neighbour Rosicky”
Authors: Marquis Margaret Emily
Published: May 2007

This essay analyzes how Willa Cather's 1928 story “Neighbour Rosicky” depicts issues of masculinity, work, and American identity through the corporeality of Anton Rosicky. Because his failing health and formerly strong body are so linked to the work he does, Rosicky's body becomes more than simply a tool for farming. This topic considers the cultural and historical significance of how these subthemes correspond to the larger theme of working men in America. Rosicky represents a uniquely American conflict between production from physical work for private or familial consumption and such production that is intended primarily to generate income. In this work, the two issues are presented as entangled as Rosicky provides food for his family but also spends the income from the sale of what is left over on nonnecessities. Rosicky's work, which both produces foodstuffs for his family and provides income for other goods, and the body performing that work depict a crucial theme for working men in America after the turn of the century.
Ironizing Masculinity: How Adolescent Boys Negotiate Hetero-Normative Dilemmas in Conversational Interaction
Authors: Korobov Neill
Published: May 2007

This article presents a discourse analytic examination of the ways that adolescent boys (ages 12–15) use irony to construct and resist hetero-normative forms of masculinity in social interaction. While there is a glut of macro-level analyses of irony and pastiche at the broader cultural level (in media, advertisements, etc.), there is a paucity of research detailing how “ordinary” men use irony at the level of the interpersonal. The present paper focuses on how several varieties of irony function in group conversations among adolescent boys, with particular attention given to ways that irony is instrumental in allowing the boys to simultaneously articulate and partly deny certain masculine positions. The findings are meant to be interpreted within a critical, sociopolitical context that is concerned with how the performance of certain types of masculine subjectivities becomes strategically useful in the overall survivability and adaptability of hegemonic masculinity.
“Real Men are Tough Guys”: Hegemonic Masculinity and Safety in the Construction Industry
Authors: Iacuone David
Published: May 2007

Drawing on participant-observation research and 20 interviews with tradesmen, this article explores the link between masculinity and occupational health and safety (OH&S) in the Australian (state of Victoria) construction industry. The main contention of the article is that the hegemonic masculine construct most commonly found on building sites serves to create a gender hierarchy, and this informal power matrix influences builders' perceptions of OH&S. Within this context, the article examines a range of topics including horseplay, alcohol consumption, the importance of risk and physical prowess, tradesmen's attitudes toward women, and one-upmanship.
Boys' Perceptions of the Male Role: Understanding Gender Role Conflict in Adolescent Males
Authors: Watts Randolph H. , Borders L. Dianne
Published: May 2007

Adolescent males are at risk for a number of academic, social, and emotional problems. Existing research provides evidence that a number of these problems are related to conflicts experienced by adolescent males through the gender socialization process, called gender role conflict. Whereas there is ample empirical literature on gender role conflict in adult males, few researchers have investigated this hypothesized conflict in adolescent males. This study, involving small interview groups of adolescent males, was designed to examine the validity of the gender role construct for adolescent males.
Asian Gay Men's Bodies
Authors: Drummond Murray J.N.
Published: May 2007

Men's bodies have been increasingly placed under scrutiny in contemporary Western culture. Gay males have been identified as presenting a greater risk of body image disturbance than heterosexual males as a consequence of the aesthetically driven gay culture. While there are few services available for gay men with body image concerns, there are even fewer available for gay men from non-English speaking cultures. This is a concern for young gay males coming from masculinised cultures in which living up to archetypal heterosexual masculine ideals is a cultural family imperative. This paper reports qualitative research with six Asian gay males living in Adelaide, Australia, aged 18–25. A life historical perspective provides reflections on the participants' bodies growing up gay in masculinised cultures. The paper also highlights the men's current plight as they struggle to come to terms with being Asian gay men living in a white, heterosexual, Anglo-Australian environment.
Heroes, Metanarratives, and the Paradox of Masculinity in Contemporary Western Culture
Authors: Boon Kevin Alexander
Published: May 2007

The mythic figuration of the hero thrives in contemporary American culture, functioning as both an unattainable ideal against which contemporary masculinity is measured and a mythic means of assuring survival. This figuration places contemporary men in a double bind, or paradox, which offers two alternatives: (1) reject traditional definitions of masculine behavior and risk being labeled by culture as less than a man, or (2) embrace the testosterone-based behaviors that define the hero figure and pursue the impossible acquisition of superhuman qualities, a goal that by its nature must result in failure.