Performing American Masculinities

Elwood Watson is Professor of History, African Studies, and Gender Studies at East Tennessee State University. --

This interdisciplinary study analyzes the ways in which signs of masculinity have been performed across a wide variety of contexts and genres - including literature, classical ballet, sports, rock music, films and computer games - from the early nineteenth century to the present day.

Geir Henning Presterudstuen provides an ethnographic account of howmen in the multicultural urban centres of Fiji perceive, construct andperform masculinities in the context of rapid social change. Theoreticallyinformed by critical feminist theories, postcolonialism, R.W. Connell’s workon masculinities and a Bourdieuan conceptualization of the body, thisbook explores how notions of masculinity, manhood and the male bodyare shaped by the conflicting social forces of Fijian tradition, modernity,commercialization and urbanization.The book provides a timely intervention, from the grassroots level in theglobal south, into an ongoing discourse about men and masculinities thathas long been dominated by voices from Europe and the US. Combiningclassic ethnography with innovative social analysis, Presterudstuen’sbook is suitable for students and academics with an interest in genderand social change, and for scholars across a variety of disciplinesincluding anthropology, gender studies, sociology, pacific studies andinternational development.

"This is a highly recommended purchase for undergraduate, medium-sized, and large public libraries wishing to provide a substantial introduction to the field of men's studies." --Reference & User Services Quarterly "Pleasing layout and good cross-references make Carroll's compendium a welcome addition to collections serving readers of all ages. Highly recommended." --CHOICE "An excellent index, well-chosen photographs and illustrations, and an extensive bibliography add further value. American Masculinities is well worth what would otherise be too hefty a price for many libraries because no other encyclopedia comes close to covering this growing field so well." --American Reference Books Annual American Masculinities: A Historical Encyclopedia is a first-of-its-kind reference, detailing developments in the growing field of men's studies. This up-to-date analytical review serves as a marker of how the field has evolved over the last decade, especially since the 1993 publication of Anthony Rotundo's American Manhood. This seminal book opened new vistas for exploration and research into American History, society, and culture. Weaving the fabric of American history, American Masculinities illustrates how American political leaders have often used the rhetoric of manliness to underscore the presumed moral righteousness and ostensibly protective purposes of their policies. Seeing U.S. history in terms of gender archetypes, readers will gain a richer and deeper understanding of America's democratic political system, domestic and foreign policies, and capitalist economic system, as well as the "private" sphere of the home and domestic life. The contributors to American Masculinities share the assumption that men's lives have been grounded fundamentally in gender, that is, in their awareness of themselves as males. Their approach goes beyond scholarship which traditionally looks at men (and women) in terms of what they do and how they have influenced a given field or era. Rather, this important work delves into the psychological core of manhood which is shaped not only by biology, but also by history, society, and culture. Encapsulating the current state of scholarly interpretation within the field of Men's Studies, American Masculinities: A Historical Encyclopedia is designed to help students and scholars advance their studies, develop new questions for research, and stimulate new ways of exploring the history of American life. Key Features - Reader's Guide facilitates browsing by topic and easy access to information - Extensive name, place, and concept index gives users an additional means of locating topics of interest - More than 250 entries, each with suggestions for further reading - Cross references direct users to related information - Comprehensive bibliography includes a list of sources organized by categories in the field Topics Covered - Arts, Literature, and Popular Culture - Body, Health, and Sexuality - Class, Ethnic, Racial, and Religious Identities - Concepts and Theories - Family and Fatherhood - General History - Icons and Symbols - Leisure and Work - Movements and Organizations - People - Political and Social Issues About the Editor Bret E. Carroll is Associate Professor of History at California State University, Stanislaus. He received his Ph.D. from Cornell University in 1991. He is author of The Routledge Historical Atlas of Religion in America (1997), Spiritualism in Antebellum America (1997), and several articles on nineteenth-century masculinity.

A lively and engaging study of on-screen and off-screen performances of masculinity, focusing on well-known male actors in American film and popular culture in the 1990s and 2000s. Peberdy examines specific social, cultural, historical and political contexts that have affected age, race, sexuality and fatherhood on screen.

This is a remarkable set of linked essays on the African American male experience. Alexander picks a number of settings that highlight Black male interaction, sexuality, and identity_the student-teacher interaction, the black barbershop, drag queen performances, the funeral eulogy. From these he builds a theory of Black masculine identity using auto-ethnography and ideas of performance as his base.

Exploring the performance of masculinity on and off the nineteenth-century American stage, this book looks at the shift from the passionate muscularity to intellectual restraint as not a linear journey toward national refinement; but a multitude of masculinities fighting simultaneously for dominance and recognition.