The End of Masculinity: The Confusion of Sexual Genesis and Sexual Difference in Modern Society"This book explains why both popular and academic commentators have found it impossible to define masculinity. It is because no such thing exists. Re-examining the ideas of thinkers such as Sigmund Freud and Thomas Hobbes, the author shows that modern societies faced the novel problem of explaining how men and women had equal rights, yet led such different lives, and solved it by inventing the concept of masculinity. It concludes that strong forces in modern societies encourage greater sexual equality, and that these are better supported by a politics of equal rights than by encouraging men to personally reform their masculine identity. MacInnes challenges established ways of thinking about sex, gender and masculinity that underpin not only feminist thought, but the treatment of these issues across the social sciences, philosophy and history."--Publisher description. |
Contents
The genesis of masculinity | 1 |
The fetishism of sexual difference and its secret | 24 |
The crisis of masculinity and the politics of identity | 45 |
Copyright | |
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adults analysis argue argument aspects basis become biological sex Chapter comprise concept of gender concept of masculinity Connell Craib created culture define depends Dinnerstein division of labour dominance doublethink emotional empirical essence example existence explain expression father feminism feminist fetishism of sexual Filmer Freud fundamental gender identity genesis and sexual historical Hobbes human ideology imagine implies incest taboo individuals inequality inevitable infants kinship logical male and female male or female masculinity and femininity material and ideological means misogyny mortal natural difference Nineteen Eighty-Four Oedipus complex origin paradox parents Pateman patriarchalists patriarchy penis penis envy phallus politics of identity polymorphous perversity possess possible private sphere problem produced public sphere rationalization relationship reproduction Rubin's seen sense sexual difference sexual division sexual equality sexual genesis social contract theorists social order social relations socially constructed sociology status suggests theory tion ultimately Weber Winnicott womb envy women