Plural Masculinities: The Remaking of the Self in Private Life

by Sofia Aboim

Overview

Plural Masculinities offers a contemporary portrait of the plural dynamics and forms of masculinity, emphasizing the multiple, even contradictory, pathways through which men are remaking their identities. Proceeding from the premise that it is impossible to fully understand masculinity without considering its connection with family change and women's change, it places men and masculinities within the realm of family life, examining men's practices and discourses in their relationships with women and their changing femininities. Combining an empirical study based in Portugal with cross-national analyses of attitudes towards ideal gender arrangements in Europe and the USA, this book examines the various ways in which men come to define their identities and will appeal to those working in the fields of masculinities, gender studies and the sociology of the family.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781138267763
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	11/17/2016
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

Sofia Aboim, Auxiliary Researcher, Institute of Social Sciences of the University of Lisbon, Portugal

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments; Introduction Plural Masculinities: Evidence from the Field; Chapter 1 From Dualism to Pluralism: The Power of Categories and the Making of Gender; Chapter 2 Domination, Hegemony and Hybrid Selves: Rethinking the Plural Dynamics of Masculinity; Chapter 3 Masculinities and Private Life: Power Behind the Scenes; Chapter 4 Labour and Love: The Gender Division of Labour and Caring in a Cross-National Perspective; Chapter 5 Inclusion, Defamilialization, Autonomy: The Changing Boundaries of Masculinities within Family Life; Chapter 6 Of Pleasure and Violence: Sex and Sexuality in Men’s Discourses; Conclusion Reinventing Patriarchy? Renegotiating Power and Identities;

Editorial Reviews

'In Plural Masculinities, Sofia Aboim gives an intelligent and original re-thinking of concepts of masculinity, and a fascinating set of empirical investigations. Turning the focus on ordinary men and complicit masculinities, she offers an important new vision of change in intimate relationships - and a sobering account of the limits of change.' Raewyn Connell, University of Sydney, Australia 'It is rare to find a book that combines sophisticated feminist and gender theoretical debate with both comparative quantitative data and qualitative interview analysis. This is such a book. It is a very significant contribution not only to theorizing plural, including dominant, masculinities, but also to multi-method research and broadening gender research away from Anglophone assumptions. It deserves to be read widely.' Jeff Hearn, Linköping University, Sweden, University of Huddersfield, UK, and Hanken School of Economics, Finland

From the Publisher