Masculinities studies is a vibrant, interdisciplinary field of study broadly concerned with the s... more Masculinities studies is a vibrant, interdisciplinary field of study broadly concerned with the social construction of what it means to “be a man.” Masculinities scholars study the social role and meanings of masculinities. A vast majority of scholarship dealing with gender inequality focuses on women and the ways that they are structurally and systematically subordinated to men and disadvantaged. Scholars of inequality note, however, that there are two sides to inequality: disadvantage and privilege. Masculinities scholars study the various ways that men are—as a group—privileged, as well as focusing on the costs of those privileges and the ways in which not all men are granted equal access to them. “Masculinity” refers to the behaviors, social roles, and relations of men within a given society as well as the meanings attributed to them. The term masculinity stresses gender, unlike male, which stresses biological sex. Thus studies of masculinities need not be confined to biological males. Masculinity studies is a feminist-inspired, interdisciplinary field that emerged in the last few decades of the 20th century as a topic of study. It deals with the diversity of identities, behaviors, and meanings that occupy the label masculine and does not assume that they are universal. Thus scholars of masculinity often refer to masculinities in the plural to highlight the diversity of meanings, roles, and behaviors consumed in the term. Despite the fact that gender is often experienced as intensely personal—an internal facet of our identity—masculinities are produced and reproduced through the course of our daily interactions as well as within the larger institutions of society. This bibliography provides resources and an introductory overview of historical studies of masculinity, theories of masculinity and gender inequality, the relationship between masculinity and sexuality, the literature dealing with diverse men’s movements, and a summary of findings within various social institutions (education, the family, the workplace, sport, and the media).
This thesis responds to Walls and Billings (1977) call for a study of work in an Appalachian cult... more This thesis responds to Walls and Billings (1977) call for a study of work in an Appalachian cultural context. Given this, intersectionality theory along with Marx's theory of alienation guide the analysis. Since intersectionality has not often been applied to White men's experience of race, particularly with respect to marginalized class and rurality, this thesis begins with the voices of this population in this particular space, which also heeds Reagon's (1981) challenge to understand what is happening "at home" before attempting to build coalition. Additionally, analysis of the historical constructions of work from Colonial tobacco plantations, to the Appalachian frontier, through the neoliberal present, helps to contextualize the anti-oppression tactics present in the data. Further, this thesis offers a self-reflective discussion of the rationale and experience of the author's return "home" to do scholarship in the complex socio-historical setting context in which he was raised, yet struggles to belong. iv For grandaddy. Thank You. As with every complex project, there are many people to thank as this would simply not have been possible without them. First, my great thanks to the men who shared themselves and their stories with me. Thank you for your trust and I hope I have done justice to your voice. Prior to applying to the program, I contacted Dr. Emily Ignacio to ask if a project like this would fit my interests; turns out it does. What I could not have foreseen was the growththe intellectual preparation and confidence-into which "Dr. I" would shepherd me. If there is a scholar in me, she is primarily responsible for its emergence. Thanks also to my readers: Dr. Charles Williams for consistent support and for guiding me through Marx, Dr. Charles "Chip" Gallagher for laying critical (Whiteness) foundations and insightful feedback, and Dr. Michael Kimmel for a body of work that helped me arrive at this project in the first place and for challenging me to re-inhabit my own accented voice. Every graduate student needs to commiserate and sharpen their intellectual tools and in Douglas Avella-Castro I was lucky enough to find an intellectual wingman and friend as well. I am proud of what we have accomplished and the change we have yet to create. Thanks also for the sharp editing skills of Amy Whitcomb at UWT, and Emily H. Moorewho was just looking out for an old friend. Having barely survived the "gettin' above my raisin'" that was my undergraduate experience, I owe a perpetual debt to George Mason University's Dr. Kim Eby and Dr. Rebecca Walter. Together these two incredible teacher/mentors helped me find my true calling while assuring me that I did in fact belong; for that I will remain forever grateful. Thank you also to my Pacific Lutheran University Women's Center friends who not only convinced me to pursue a graduate degree but put up with me as I did so. To Jen Smith, Jennifer Warwick, and Bobbi Hughes I have many thanks to offer; this is but one. Balancing graduate school, work, and family leaves little time for friends or hobbies, yet my health and sanity continues to be buoyed by the fun and fellowship that is Marc Core. Thanks for taking me to the mountain top(s). Last, yet hardly least, thank you to my family. To my brothers who still claim me as their own-and in so doing anchor meand my parents who perpetually guide my journey through the world, I love you all and I hope I have made you proud. To my incredible partner Katie, thank you for… well, (literally) everything. The life we share, the children we love-"thank you" will never suffice. Finally, to my beautiful boys: Silas who brought me into the amazing world of fatherhood and continues to teach me more than he could imagine, and Asa who was born just as I began this journey and only months before grandaddy's time with us came to an end. I'm sorry for the time we lost and I pray you do not remember a void. May this help connect you and the father you know across the literal and figurative miles to the people and place that will always be home to me. I love you beyond words. v Contents Preface: My "Southern" Accent vi Introduction Chapter 1-American Dreams, Southern & Appalachian style Chapter 2-Deliver us from Deliverance Chapter 3-Research setting and process Narratives 3-Celebrating culture Conclusion Appendix: Methodology References vi Preface-My "Southern" Accent-"stress and comfort alike make my accent broader… We only speak in our parents' voices when we are enraged…or believe we are safe and no one will laugh if we expose our souls"-Jennings "… and I sort of see myself as ah… Southern… someone to bring... one of my big pet pieces is ah, people assumin' that I'm not as educated or as intelligent b'cause I talk slower… er I have an accent an' ah, I think that's probably one of the common, most common, …ya know, stereotypes…"-"John," study participant I live at the intersection of poor-ignorant-hillbilly road and Southern-middle class-Whiteman highway. That's where I've built a home for myself. See, I was raised a carpenter's son and I grew up to be one myself-a hard workin' man who takes great pride in his craft and the calloused hands that come with it. Trust me, this house is solid. Matter of fact, it's strong as a prisonand it has to be to hold all this conflict. Turns out the place where those roads meet, that intersection, those are the walls of the cell… in a place I fig'rd I'd find an easy spot to hop the fence. But, I can't tell you 'bout that without explaining 'bout my Accent. My Accent is distinct. No matter how many reality TV shows, like Discovery's Moonshiners 1 , attempt to confuse folks about Southern accents passing for Appalachian, there IS in fact a difference. We have our very own accents, and everybody 'round here knows the difference between 'em all, so don't think you're kiddin' anybody. If you ain't from here, we know it about the time you pucker up to speak-and that goes double for Yankees. 'Sides if 1 Magilla Entertainment, 2013 vii there weren't no difference, how would you know who was a hillbilly and who was White trash? But most the time you ain't got no idea no way. So see, my hillbilly accent can be either Union or Confederate when it needs to be. Growin' up 'round here you learn early how to know when to use the "right" one. Well that was until I got "too big for my britches," as grandaddy'd say, and decided I'd move to the city. Now, this wasn't actually the city, but growin' up that's just what we always called the kids with money who all seemed to live in town. They damn sure weren't from out in the county, and they made sure we all were clear on that too. Livin' in what ya might call the suburbs just outside D.C., I knew they really pro'bly couldn't tell, but my accent needed to be Southern. And that's when I started to think, maybe even believe, those deliciously savage dreams of my childhood that painted beautiful bleeding fictions in my mind at night might come true. They were seductive dreams of a life where shame, desperation, and want didn't exist and never had. They were addictive dreams that I didn't have to be poorin a hillbilly land where hope seems forever tempered; that the pain of feeling un-wanted, and the heart-wrenchin' pain of secretly resentin' my daddy for not protecting usjust as I loved him more for his hard work and struggle and idolized him as a god among men-would be erased. It was then that I sold my soul to the devil. I didn't realize it, and I sure never said it, but it sounded like this: "Give me a life of ease and I'll let it go; all of it." I sold my Accent for the fiction painted in those American Dream images that inspired and tormented me at nightand the reality of it is just as savage as the dreams. I sold my soul and the exchange took four mostly hellish yearsthe years I earned a "higher" (read: Better) education. Now don't get me wrong, I love my "intellectual life," but I learned long ago even brilliant things said with my Accent, just ain't. My Accent is the stuff of the sodomizing rapists in Deliverance. I sold my soul when I left my Accent in a box at my viii parents' and then traded in my Southern accent for a Northern Virginia accent, we'll just call "speakin' NoVA." See NoVA is bland with just a hint of Southern, but it is "sophisticated"… in the suburbs just outside of D.C., Northern Virginia has some of the richest counties in the country. NoVA ain't Southern-and it damn sure don't sound Appalachian. My brother, who had been my best friend for my entire life, noticed. He applied "Yankee" as liberally as others might use "college boy" to shame the sibling who gets above their raisin'but there's a critical difference between the two. He knew it, and I knew it. Yankees were the vicious conquering army that beat the Confederate army, sure; but they also raped and pillaged the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia that we call home. Yankees are Georgia's Sherman and our Sheridan 2. Yankees are carpet-baggin', citified, rich exploiters, from New York or some damn place that sure ain't here. And in Appalachia, history is full of, and written by, exploiters. To escape my own pain, I sold out and became one too; but it didn't stick. What I got instead was an easier life to dull the pain, and a load of imposter's self-doubt and collaboratorguilt to make up the difference. And I'm done with it. But don't think I can't still speak traitor fluently enough to punch holes in that "dream." We gotta learn to reject that shame that makes us rely on somebody else to tell us we're good enough; they-our "betters"-ain't ever gonna say so, but we're good enough as is. Let's claim pride on our own terms; not over, but with one another. That's why family and community's always been so important 'round herewe need each other. B'sides it's not just easier, it's more fun when you have somebody workin' alongside ya too. Those cheatin' "gentlemen" didn't have answers that helped anybody but...
Teaching Gender and Sex in Contemporary America, 2016
This paper explores using popular fiction as a teaching tool in sociology classes. Using three po... more This paper explores using popular fiction as a teaching tool in sociology classes. Using three popular series (Twilight, Fifty Shades of Grey, and the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) we cultivate a lively academic environment and vibrant discussions in the classroom. We explain how students relate to these texts and become engaged with sociological concepts, specifically gender theory. By using popular culture to explain theory we are able to dissect difficult concepts and make them palpable in the classroom.
INTEGRATING MEN INTO THE CURRICULUM Michael Kimmel I. Introduction This article has a provocative... more INTEGRATING MEN INTO THE CURRICULUM Michael Kimmel I. Introduction This article has a provocative title because its intent is to address the invisi-bility of men in the university as a first step towards developing strategies to in-tegrate men into the contemporary ...
What has been the impact of Women’s and Gender Studies on men? While for many years, men assumed ... more What has been the impact of Women’s and Gender Studies on men? While for many years, men assumed that Women’s Studies has nothing to do with their lives, this essay argues that one of Women’s Studies signal contributions has been to make gender visible to both women and men. The consequences of this invisibility are explored, and some of the promises and perils of Women’s Studies when applied to men’s lives are explored. Key words: Women’s Studies, masculinities, gender.
This article explores the empirical and political debates surrounding boys' academic experien... more This article explores the empirical and political debates surrounding boys' academic experiences in America and the United Kingdom. It unearths the ways in which boys' problems in school have been blamed on feminism, and how race and class are ignored in both debates. Additionally, this article addresses same-gender mentoring as a remedial, gender-based strategy for the ‘problem’ of boys in schools. We offer a critique of the mentoring of boys, highlighting the ways in which it ‘others' boys of marginalised race and class status and legitimises hegemonic masculinity. This article concludes with an analysis of the potential of mentoring in the work with boys.
Masculinities studies is a vibrant, interdisciplinary field of study broadly concerned with the s... more Masculinities studies is a vibrant, interdisciplinary field of study broadly concerned with the social construction of what it means to “be a man.” Masculinities scholars study the social role and meanings of masculinities. A vast majority of scholarship dealing with gender inequality focuses on women and the ways that they are structurally and systematically subordinated to men and disadvantaged. Scholars of inequality note, however, that there are two sides to inequality: disadvantage and privilege. Masculinities scholars study the various ways that men are—as a group—privileged, as well as focusing on the costs of those privileges and the ways in which not all men are granted equal access to them. “Masculinity” refers to the behaviors, social roles, and relations of men within a given society as well as the meanings attributed to them. The term masculinity stresses gender, unlike male, which stresses biological sex. Thus studies of masculinities need not be confined to biological males. Masculinity studies is a feminist-inspired, interdisciplinary field that emerged in the last few decades of the 20th century as a topic of study. It deals with the diversity of identities, behaviors, and meanings that occupy the label masculine and does not assume that they are universal. Thus scholars of masculinity often refer to masculinities in the plural to highlight the diversity of meanings, roles, and behaviors consumed in the term. Despite the fact that gender is often experienced as intensely personal—an internal facet of our identity—masculinities are produced and reproduced through the course of our daily interactions as well as within the larger institutions of society. This bibliography provides resources and an introductory overview of historical studies of masculinity, theories of masculinity and gender inequality, the relationship between masculinity and sexuality, the literature dealing with diverse men’s movements, and a summary of findings within various social institutions (education, the family, the workplace, sport, and the media).
This thesis responds to Walls and Billings (1977) call for a study of work in an Appalachian cult... more This thesis responds to Walls and Billings (1977) call for a study of work in an Appalachian cultural context. Given this, intersectionality theory along with Marx's theory of alienation guide the analysis. Since intersectionality has not often been applied to White men's experience of race, particularly with respect to marginalized class and rurality, this thesis begins with the voices of this population in this particular space, which also heeds Reagon's (1981) challenge to understand what is happening "at home" before attempting to build coalition. Additionally, analysis of the historical constructions of work from Colonial tobacco plantations, to the Appalachian frontier, through the neoliberal present, helps to contextualize the anti-oppression tactics present in the data. Further, this thesis offers a self-reflective discussion of the rationale and experience of the author's return "home" to do scholarship in the complex socio-historical setting context in which he was raised, yet struggles to belong. iv For grandaddy. Thank You. As with every complex project, there are many people to thank as this would simply not have been possible without them. First, my great thanks to the men who shared themselves and their stories with me. Thank you for your trust and I hope I have done justice to your voice. Prior to applying to the program, I contacted Dr. Emily Ignacio to ask if a project like this would fit my interests; turns out it does. What I could not have foreseen was the growththe intellectual preparation and confidence-into which "Dr. I" would shepherd me. If there is a scholar in me, she is primarily responsible for its emergence. Thanks also to my readers: Dr. Charles Williams for consistent support and for guiding me through Marx, Dr. Charles "Chip" Gallagher for laying critical (Whiteness) foundations and insightful feedback, and Dr. Michael Kimmel for a body of work that helped me arrive at this project in the first place and for challenging me to re-inhabit my own accented voice. Every graduate student needs to commiserate and sharpen their intellectual tools and in Douglas Avella-Castro I was lucky enough to find an intellectual wingman and friend as well. I am proud of what we have accomplished and the change we have yet to create. Thanks also for the sharp editing skills of Amy Whitcomb at UWT, and Emily H. Moorewho was just looking out for an old friend. Having barely survived the "gettin' above my raisin'" that was my undergraduate experience, I owe a perpetual debt to George Mason University's Dr. Kim Eby and Dr. Rebecca Walter. Together these two incredible teacher/mentors helped me find my true calling while assuring me that I did in fact belong; for that I will remain forever grateful. Thank you also to my Pacific Lutheran University Women's Center friends who not only convinced me to pursue a graduate degree but put up with me as I did so. To Jen Smith, Jennifer Warwick, and Bobbi Hughes I have many thanks to offer; this is but one. Balancing graduate school, work, and family leaves little time for friends or hobbies, yet my health and sanity continues to be buoyed by the fun and fellowship that is Marc Core. Thanks for taking me to the mountain top(s). Last, yet hardly least, thank you to my family. To my brothers who still claim me as their own-and in so doing anchor meand my parents who perpetually guide my journey through the world, I love you all and I hope I have made you proud. To my incredible partner Katie, thank you for… well, (literally) everything. The life we share, the children we love-"thank you" will never suffice. Finally, to my beautiful boys: Silas who brought me into the amazing world of fatherhood and continues to teach me more than he could imagine, and Asa who was born just as I began this journey and only months before grandaddy's time with us came to an end. I'm sorry for the time we lost and I pray you do not remember a void. May this help connect you and the father you know across the literal and figurative miles to the people and place that will always be home to me. I love you beyond words. v Contents Preface: My "Southern" Accent vi Introduction Chapter 1-American Dreams, Southern & Appalachian style Chapter 2-Deliver us from Deliverance Chapter 3-Research setting and process Narratives 3-Celebrating culture Conclusion Appendix: Methodology References vi Preface-My "Southern" Accent-"stress and comfort alike make my accent broader… We only speak in our parents' voices when we are enraged…or believe we are safe and no one will laugh if we expose our souls"-Jennings "… and I sort of see myself as ah… Southern… someone to bring... one of my big pet pieces is ah, people assumin' that I'm not as educated or as intelligent b'cause I talk slower… er I have an accent an' ah, I think that's probably one of the common, most common, …ya know, stereotypes…"-"John," study participant I live at the intersection of poor-ignorant-hillbilly road and Southern-middle class-Whiteman highway. That's where I've built a home for myself. See, I was raised a carpenter's son and I grew up to be one myself-a hard workin' man who takes great pride in his craft and the calloused hands that come with it. Trust me, this house is solid. Matter of fact, it's strong as a prisonand it has to be to hold all this conflict. Turns out the place where those roads meet, that intersection, those are the walls of the cell… in a place I fig'rd I'd find an easy spot to hop the fence. But, I can't tell you 'bout that without explaining 'bout my Accent. My Accent is distinct. No matter how many reality TV shows, like Discovery's Moonshiners 1 , attempt to confuse folks about Southern accents passing for Appalachian, there IS in fact a difference. We have our very own accents, and everybody 'round here knows the difference between 'em all, so don't think you're kiddin' anybody. If you ain't from here, we know it about the time you pucker up to speak-and that goes double for Yankees. 'Sides if 1 Magilla Entertainment, 2013 vii there weren't no difference, how would you know who was a hillbilly and who was White trash? But most the time you ain't got no idea no way. So see, my hillbilly accent can be either Union or Confederate when it needs to be. Growin' up 'round here you learn early how to know when to use the "right" one. Well that was until I got "too big for my britches," as grandaddy'd say, and decided I'd move to the city. Now, this wasn't actually the city, but growin' up that's just what we always called the kids with money who all seemed to live in town. They damn sure weren't from out in the county, and they made sure we all were clear on that too. Livin' in what ya might call the suburbs just outside D.C., I knew they really pro'bly couldn't tell, but my accent needed to be Southern. And that's when I started to think, maybe even believe, those deliciously savage dreams of my childhood that painted beautiful bleeding fictions in my mind at night might come true. They were seductive dreams of a life where shame, desperation, and want didn't exist and never had. They were addictive dreams that I didn't have to be poorin a hillbilly land where hope seems forever tempered; that the pain of feeling un-wanted, and the heart-wrenchin' pain of secretly resentin' my daddy for not protecting usjust as I loved him more for his hard work and struggle and idolized him as a god among men-would be erased. It was then that I sold my soul to the devil. I didn't realize it, and I sure never said it, but it sounded like this: "Give me a life of ease and I'll let it go; all of it." I sold my Accent for the fiction painted in those American Dream images that inspired and tormented me at nightand the reality of it is just as savage as the dreams. I sold my soul and the exchange took four mostly hellish yearsthe years I earned a "higher" (read: Better) education. Now don't get me wrong, I love my "intellectual life," but I learned long ago even brilliant things said with my Accent, just ain't. My Accent is the stuff of the sodomizing rapists in Deliverance. I sold my soul when I left my Accent in a box at my viii parents' and then traded in my Southern accent for a Northern Virginia accent, we'll just call "speakin' NoVA." See NoVA is bland with just a hint of Southern, but it is "sophisticated"… in the suburbs just outside of D.C., Northern Virginia has some of the richest counties in the country. NoVA ain't Southern-and it damn sure don't sound Appalachian. My brother, who had been my best friend for my entire life, noticed. He applied "Yankee" as liberally as others might use "college boy" to shame the sibling who gets above their raisin'but there's a critical difference between the two. He knew it, and I knew it. Yankees were the vicious conquering army that beat the Confederate army, sure; but they also raped and pillaged the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia that we call home. Yankees are Georgia's Sherman and our Sheridan 2. Yankees are carpet-baggin', citified, rich exploiters, from New York or some damn place that sure ain't here. And in Appalachia, history is full of, and written by, exploiters. To escape my own pain, I sold out and became one too; but it didn't stick. What I got instead was an easier life to dull the pain, and a load of imposter's self-doubt and collaboratorguilt to make up the difference. And I'm done with it. But don't think I can't still speak traitor fluently enough to punch holes in that "dream." We gotta learn to reject that shame that makes us rely on somebody else to tell us we're good enough; they-our "betters"-ain't ever gonna say so, but we're good enough as is. Let's claim pride on our own terms; not over, but with one another. That's why family and community's always been so important 'round herewe need each other. B'sides it's not just easier, it's more fun when you have somebody workin' alongside ya too. Those cheatin' "gentlemen" didn't have answers that helped anybody but...
Teaching Gender and Sex in Contemporary America, 2016
This paper explores using popular fiction as a teaching tool in sociology classes. Using three po... more This paper explores using popular fiction as a teaching tool in sociology classes. Using three popular series (Twilight, Fifty Shades of Grey, and the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) we cultivate a lively academic environment and vibrant discussions in the classroom. We explain how students relate to these texts and become engaged with sociological concepts, specifically gender theory. By using popular culture to explain theory we are able to dissect difficult concepts and make them palpable in the classroom.
INTEGRATING MEN INTO THE CURRICULUM Michael Kimmel I. Introduction This article has a provocative... more INTEGRATING MEN INTO THE CURRICULUM Michael Kimmel I. Introduction This article has a provocative title because its intent is to address the invisi-bility of men in the university as a first step towards developing strategies to in-tegrate men into the contemporary ...
What has been the impact of Women’s and Gender Studies on men? While for many years, men assumed ... more What has been the impact of Women’s and Gender Studies on men? While for many years, men assumed that Women’s Studies has nothing to do with their lives, this essay argues that one of Women’s Studies signal contributions has been to make gender visible to both women and men. The consequences of this invisibility are explored, and some of the promises and perils of Women’s Studies when applied to men’s lives are explored. Key words: Women’s Studies, masculinities, gender.
This article explores the empirical and political debates surrounding boys' academic experien... more This article explores the empirical and political debates surrounding boys' academic experiences in America and the United Kingdom. It unearths the ways in which boys' problems in school have been blamed on feminism, and how race and class are ignored in both debates. Additionally, this article addresses same-gender mentoring as a remedial, gender-based strategy for the ‘problem’ of boys in schools. We offer a critique of the mentoring of boys, highlighting the ways in which it ‘others' boys of marginalised race and class status and legitimises hegemonic masculinity. This article concludes with an analysis of the potential of mentoring in the work with boys.
Uploads
Papers by michael kimmel