Overview

In Manhood Impossible, Scott Melzer argues that boys’ and men’s bodies and breadwinner status are the two primary sites for their expression of control. Controlling selves and others, and resisting being dominated and controlled is most connected to men’s bodies and work. However, no man can live up to these culturally ascendant ideals of manhood. The strategies men use to manage unmet expectations often prove toxic, not only for men themselves, but also for other men, women, and society. Melzer strategically explores the lives of four groups of adult men struggling with contemporary body and breadwinner ideals. These case studies uncover men’s struggles to achieve and maintain manhood, and redefine what it means to be a man.  

Full Product Details

Author:   Scott Melzer
Publisher:   Rutgers University Press
Imprint:   Rutgers University Press
Dimensions:   Width: 15.20cm , Height: 1.50cm , Length: 22.90cm
Weight:   0.397kg
ISBN:  

9780813584898

ISBN 10:   0813584892
Pages:   292
Publication Date:   31 August 2018
Recommended Age:   From 17 to 99 years
Audience:   College/higher education ,  College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Tertiary & Higher Education ,  Tertiary & Higher Education
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

Introduction: The Manhood Dilemma Part I The Body Dilemma 1 Ritual Violence in a Two-Car Garage 2 Fighting Back 3 Seeking Growth: The Penis Health Club 4 Compensating for Body Failures Part II The Breadwinner Dilemma 5 Non-Breadwinners: Unemployed Men and Stay-at-home Dads 6 Unemployment Blues and Backlash 7 Redefining Manhood: Stay-at-home Dads as Real Men Part III The Future of the Manhood Dilemma Conclusion: Making Manhood Possible Appendix: Studying Men and Manhood Acknowledgments

Reviews

Manhood Impossible provides astute sociological insight into how men struggle to resuscitate their feelings of masculinity and access the exclusive dominion of manhood. With its intriguing case studies, accessible writing style, and ethnographic slant, this is an excellent book that students and scholars are sure to love. --Kristen Barber author of Styling Masculinity: Gender, Class, and Inequality in the Men's Grooming Industry Manhood Impossible is a thoughtfully conceived, well-written, and engaging book that speaks and adds to the literature on men, manhood, and masculinity. Melzer offers analysis grounded in rich description in this fresh addition to the field. --Matthew B. Ezzell associate professor of sociology at James Madison University

Manhood Impossible provides astute sociological insight into how men struggle to resuscitate their feelings of masculinity and access the exclusive dominion of manhood. With its intriguing case studies, accessible writing style, and ethnographic slant, this is an excellent book that students and scholars are sure to love.

Author Information

SCOTT MELZER is a professor of sociology and chair of the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program at Albion College in Michigan. He is the author of Gun Crusaders: The NRA's Culture War.

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