Overview

In this practical follow up to Refusing to be a Man , John Stoltenberg uses a combination of case studies, autobiography, checklists and discussion points, to speak directly to men about how the social construction of manhood operates in everyday relationships and to show how these same dynamics drive the behaviour of gangs, race-hate groups, and international imperialism. Readers will find here new perspectives on intimacy, gender, and violence and be pushed to re-examine their ideas of manhood and gender identity generally. Stoltenberg's new introduction sets the book in academic context, summarising the game theory of gender which underlies all his work.

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9781857283242

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A mixed bag of essays, fables, musings, and skits in which a radical feminist plays havoc with the concept of manhood. In this follow-up to Refusing To Be a Man (1989 - not reviewed), Stoltenberg, a founder of Men Against Pornography, turns from public policy to interpersonal issues. His theme here is contained in the epigraph: The core of one's being must love justice more than manhood. The notion of manhood itself, says Stoltenberg, is a sham, a trap - and those who would redeem it or remythologize it are kidding themselves, for manhood is a mask, incompatible with truly human selfhood. So much for beating drums with male companions in the woods. Each of Stoltenberg's 23 brief chapters poses a question - usually an anxietyladen one ( What If My Father Didn't Love Me? ; How Can I Be Anybody If I'm Not a Real Man? ) that may or may not be answered here. The text takes many forms and varies from philosophical, even scholarly, analysis to tongue-in-cheek humor. Homophobia, pornography, and the treating of women as sexual objects are scrutinized and lampooned. Coach 'Irony' John gives advice to sexual athletes; Mister Mann offers a guide to proper etiquette in male bonding; and the Ancient Armorer versifies on the link between manhood and warfare. In a final sendup, all three testify at the National Commission on Manhood Hearings. Stoltenberg's humor can be heavy-handed and often crude, perhaps because his anger is so strong, but it gets his message across. Less persuasive are his personal revelations (of his homosexuality, for instance). A harsh critique of masculinity ostensibly written for men but likely to find its warmest reception among women. (Kirkus Reviews)

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