Overview

The masculinity of those who serve in the American military would seem to beindisputable, yet it is full of contradictions. To become a warrior, one must renouncethose things in life that are perceived to be unmasculine. Yet at the same time, themilitary has encouraged and even mandated warriors to do exactly the opposite. Bring Me Men explores these contradictions in great detail and shows that theirinvisibility has been central to the concealment of American empire's darkest secrets.By examining case studies that expose these contradictions -- the phenomenon of maleon-male rape at the U.S. Naval Academy, for example, as well as historical and contemporaryattitudes toward cleanliness and filth -- Belkin utterly upends our understanding of the relationship between warrior masculinity, American empire and the fragile processes sustaining it.

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9780231702843

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Reviews

This ambitious, well-researched volume will surely stimulate a diverse audience ranging from military practitioners, through activist of various complexions, and onto scholars working within a number of disparate fields. -- Dr Paul Higate, University of Bristol Probably no single person deserves more credit for the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell than the author of this book. As director of the Palm Center, Aaron Belkin effectively parried homophobic justifications for excluding gay men and lesbians from the US military, all the while learning unforgettable lessons about the complex culture of military masculinity. This book converts that wisdom into deep scholarship about, and a moral indictment of, the sexual culture at the basis of American military might. This gripping account of the strength and weakness, sadism and masochism, masculinity and femininity, boundedness and porosity, cleanliness and filth that together make up military masculinity -- at both the most intimate level of a single troop's corporeality and the vastest expanse of American imperial power -- will shock even those who knew all along that inclusion in the US military would be an ambiguous triumph. -- Janet Halley, Royall Professor of Law, Harvard Law School Aaron Belkin is one of the most knowledgeable, subtle and deeply informed scholars exploring the cross-national complexities of masculine militarized practice. Bring Me Men will quickly become the book to read, learn from and discuss. -- Cynthia Enloe Nimo's War, Emma's War: Making Feminist Sense of the Iraq War Aaron Belkin's fascinating, original, and authoritative book overturns conventional wisdom about military masculinity and raises important and troubling questions about warrior identity. He shows that over the past century the U.S. military has instilled not just hypermasculinity but also its opposites - intimacy, femininity, queerness, male rape - to create gender confusion in the ranks and then offer blind obedience to authority as the remedy. A must-read book for anyone interested in gender and war. -- Joshua Goldstein War and Gender: How Gender Shapes the War System and ViceVersa We tend to assume that military masculinity is made through an often brutal suppression of 'unmasculine' human qualities like empathy, nurturing, compassion. Aaron Belkin explodes that facile narrative, and reveals the contradictions at the core of the warrior's identity.The implications for our understanding of gender and American culture more broadly are profound. -- Michael Kimmel, SUNY Distinguished Professor, Department of Sociology Just as the racial integration of the American military starting in the Korean War and the gender integration beginning with the current all-volunteer force reflected and helped shape American conceptions of race and gender, so does the recent lifting of the ban on gay men and lesbians serving openly mirror and shape our conceptions of sexuality, and particularly masculinity, in both the military and more broadly in society. Aaron Belkin has been the most prominent analyst of this latter process. This volume reframes our evolving understanding of sexuality and the falsity of the masculine/feminine dualism, and places this process in the context of historical, cultural, and political change in America. -- David Segal, Director, Center for Research on Military Organization Bring Me Men is a vigorous and fascinating account of military masculinity and its contradictions, its embodiment, and its links to empire. Sometimes funny and sometimes dismaying, Aaron Belkin's book conveys a strong sense of the emotional violence behind the public face of the armed forces. -- Raewyn Connell Masculinities A tour de force. Belkin reveals the cultural and historical meanings of masculinity in the military of yesterday and tomorrow, including symbolic and psychological contradictions posed by the sex and gender binaries masculine/feminine, strong/weak, dominant/subordinate, victor/victim, civilized/barbaric, clean/dirty, and straight/queer. Agreat contribution to contemporary scholarship and policy. -- Gilbert Herdt Moral Panics/Sex Panics: Fear and the Fight Over Sexual Rights One of the smartest analysts of today's US military, Aaron Belkin here challenges the too-simple presumption that an uncomplicated militarised masculinity dominates American soldiers' lives. Instead, through grittily graphic cases, Belkin reveals a dense web of gender confusions and contradictions that foster a culture of obedience inside the military, while nurturing a dangerously undemocratic set of myths among civilians. This is a timely, significant book. -- Cynthia Enloe, author of Nimo's War, Emma's War: Making Feminist Sense of the Iraq War

This ambitious, well-researched volume will surely stimulate a diverse audience ranging from military practitioners and activists of various stripes to scholars working within a number of disparate fields. -- Paul Higate, University of Bristol Probably no single person deserves more credit for the repeal of 'don't ask, don't tell' than Belkin. As director of the Palm Center, he effectively parried homophobic justifications for excluding gay men and lesbians from the U.S. military, all the while learning unforgettable lessons about the complex culture of military masculinity. This book converts that wisdom into deep scholarship about, and a moral indictment of, the sexual culture at the basis of American military might. This gripping account of the strength and weakness, sadism and masochism, masculinity and femininity, boundedness and porosity, cleanliness and filth that together make up military masculinity -- both at the most intimate level of a single troop's corporeality and at the vastest expanse of American imperial power -- will shock even those who knew all along that inclusion in the U.S. military would be an ambiguous triumph. -- Janet Halley, Harvard Law School One of the smartest analysts of today's United States military, Aaron Belkin challenges the too-simple presumption that an uncomplicated militarized masculinity dominates American soldiers' lives. Instead, through grittily graphic cases, he reveals a dense web of gender confusions and contradictions that foster a culture of obedience inside the military, while nurturing a dangerously undemocratic set of myths among civilians. A timely, significant book. -- Cynthia Enloe, author of Nimo's War, Emma's War: Making Feminist Sense of the Iraq War Belkin's fascinating, original, and authoritative book shows that over the past century the U.S. military has instilled not just hypermasculinity but also its opposites -- intimacy, femininity, queerness, male rape -- to create gender confusion in the ranks and then offer blind obedience to authority as the remedy. A must-read book for anyone interested in gender and war. -- Joshua Goldstein, author of War and Gender: How Gender Shapes the War System and Vice Versa We tend to assume that military masculinity is made through an often brutal suppression of 'unmasculine' human qualities like empathy, nurturing, compassion. Aaron Belkin explodes that facile narrative, and reveals the contradictions at the core of the warrior's identity. The implications for our understanding of gender and American culture more broadly are profound. -- Michael Kimmel, SUNY Distinguished Professor, Department of Sociology This volume reframes our evolving understanding of sexuality and the falsity of the masculine/feminine dualism, and places this process within the context of historical, cultural, and political change in America. -- David Segal, director of the Center for Research on Military Organization, University of Maryland A vigorous and fascinating account of military masculinity and its contradictions, embodiment, and links to empire. Sometimes funny and sometimes dismaying, Belkin's book conveys a strong sense of the emotional violence behind the public face of the armed forces. -- Raewyn Connell, author of Masculinities A tour de force. Belkin reveals the cultural and historical meanings of masculinity in the military of yesterday and tomorrow, including symbolic and psychological contradictions posed by masculine/feminine, strong/weak, dominant/subordinate, victor/victim, civilized/barbaric, clean/dirty, and straight/queer. A great contribution to contemporary scholarship and policy. -- Gilbert H. Herdt, editor of Moral Panics, Sex Panics: Fear and the Fight Over Sexual Rights Belkin prosecutes [enlisted life] for the macho rot under its polished decorum. -- Dan Zak Washington Post 5/22/2012 Bring Me Men provides a valiant showing of query into the culture of masculinity and its meaning for the U.S. military and its position of power (and wealth) on the global stage. -- Annessa Babic H-Diplo 11/1/12

This ambitious, well-researched volume will surely stimulate a diverse audience ranging from military practitioners and activists of various stripes to scholars working within a number of disparate fields. -- Paul Higate, University of Bristol Probably no single person deserves more credit for the repeal of 'don't ask, don't tell' than Belkin. As director of the Palm Center, he effectively parried homophobic justifications for excluding gay men and lesbians from the U.S. military, all the while learning unforgettable lessons about the complex culture of military masculinity. This book converts that wisdom into deep scholarship about, and a moral indictment of, the sexual culture at the basis of American military might. This gripping account of the strength and weakness, sadism and masochism, masculinity and femininity, boundedness and porosity, cleanliness and filth that together make up military masculinity -- both at the most intimate level of a single troop's corporeality and at the vastest expanse of American imperial power -- will shock even those who knew all along that inclusion in the U.S. military would be an ambiguous triumph. -- Janet Halley, Harvard Law School One of the smartest analysts of today's United States military, Aaron Belkin challenges the too-simple presumption that an uncomplicated militarized masculinity dominates American soldiers' lives. Instead, through grittily graphic cases, he reveals a dense web of gender confusions and contradictions that foster a culture of obedience inside the military, while nurturing a dangerously undemocratic set of myths among civilians. A timely, significant book. -- Cynthia Enloe, author of Nimo's War, Emma's War: Making Feminist Sense of the Iraq War Belkin's fascinating, original, and authoritative book shows that over the past century the U.S. military has instilled not just hypermasculinity but also its opposites -- intimacy, femininity, queerness, male rape -- to create gender confusion in the ranks and then offer blind obedience to authority as the remedy. A must-read book for anyone interested in gender and war. -- Joshua Goldstein, author of War and Gender: How Gender Shapes the War System and Vice Versa We tend to assume that military masculinity is made through an often brutal suppression of 'unmasculine' human qualities like empathy, nurturing, compassion. Aaron Belkin explodes that facile narrative, and reveals the contradictions at the core of the warrior's identity. The implications for our understanding of gender and American culture more broadly are profound. -- Michael Kimmel, SUNY Distinguished Professor, Department of Sociology This volume reframes our evolving understanding of sexuality and the falsity of the masculine/feminine dualism, and places this process within the context of historical, cultural, and political change in America. -- David Segal, director of the Center for Research on Military Organization, University of Maryland A vigorous and fascinating account of military masculinity and its contradictions, embodiment, and links to empire. Sometimes funny and sometimes dismaying, Belkin's book conveys a strong sense of the emotional violence behind the public face of the armed forces. -- Raewyn Connell, author of Masculinities A tour de force. Belkin reveals the cultural and historical meanings of masculinity in the military of yesterday and tomorrow, including symbolic and psychological contradictions posed by masculine/feminine, strong/weak, dominant/subordinate, victor/victim, civilized/barbaric, clean/dirty, and straight/queer. A great contribution to contemporary scholarship and policy. -- Gilbert H. Herdt, editor of Moral Panics, Sex Panics: Fear and the Fight Over Sexual Rights

<p>This ambitious, well-researched volume will surely stimulate a diverse audience ranging from military practitioners, through activist of various complexions, and onto scholars working within a number of disparate fields.--Dr Paul Higate, University of Bristol

Author Information

Aaron Belkin is associate professor of political science at San Francisco State University and director of the Palm Center at the University of California, Los Angeles. He has been a MacArthur Foundation postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, Berkeley, and a predoctoral fellow at Stanford University. He has published more than twenty-five books, chapters, and peer-reviewed journal articles. His most recent book is How We Won: Progressive Lessons from the Repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell.

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