Full Description
These essays by profeminist men critique the surface ideals and underlying messages promoted by the men's movement. Is it a backlash against feminism or does it respond to men's real needs independent of feminism? What does the movement say about the appropriate models of masculinity? While the movement may be more than a bunch of white middle-aged men in war-paint, chanting and grunting in the forest, the profeminist men writing here express their explicit concern with both the surface ideals and the underlying messages promoted by the movement. Essays by several of the leaders of the mythopoetic men's movement, including Robert Bly, respond to the profeminist criticisms, opening a provocative dialogue among men about the politics of the contemporary men's movement, the "crisis" of masculinity, and where to go from here. Spokesperson for the National Organization for Men Against Sexism, Michael S. Kimmel is Professor of Sociology at the State University of New York, Stony Brook, and editor of "Masculinities", a scholarly journal. His books include "Men's Lives", "Men Confront Pornography", and "Manhood in America: A History."
Contents
Preface Publication Information Introduction Michael S. Kimmel Part I: Conceptual Critiques 1. Weekend Warriors: Robert Bly and the Politics of Masculine Retreat Michael S. Kimmel and Michael Kaufman 2. Mythopoetic Foundations and New Age Patriarchy Ken Clatterbaugh 3. Gazing into Men's Middles: Sam Keen's Fire in the Belly Don Sabo Part II: The Personal is Political: The Mythopoetic Men's Movement as a Social Movement 4. Men at Bay: The Men's Movement and Its Newest Bestsellers R.W. Connell 5. The Politics of the Mythopoetic Men's Movement Harry Brod 6. "Changing Men" and Feminist Politics in the United States Michael A. Messner Part III: The Personal is Intellectual 7. Born to Run: Nineteenth Century Fantasies of Masculine Retreat and Recreation (or The Historical Rust on Iron John) Michael S. Kimmel 8. Deep Masculinity as Social Control: Foucault, Bly and Masculinity Tim Beneke 9. A Woman for Every Wild Man: Robert Bly and His Reaffirmation of Masculinity David Gutterman 10. Renewal as Retreat: The Battle for Men's Souls Timothy Nonn 11. Mythopoetic Men's Work as a Search for Communitas Michael Schwalbe Part IV: The Personal is Personal: The Politics of the Masculinist Therapeutic 12. Homophobia in Robert Bly's Iron John Gordon Murray 13. The Shadow of Iron John Paul Wolf-Light 14. Soft Males and Mama's Boys: A Critique of Bly Terry A Kupers 15. Psyche, Society, and the Men's Movement Chris Bullock 16. Cultural Daddy-ism and Male Hysteria, David M. Weed 17. Iron Clint: Queer Weddings in Robert Bly's Iron John and Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven Mark Simpson Part V: The Struggle for Men's Souls: Mythopoetic Men Respond to the Pro Feminist Critique 18. Thoughts on Reading This Book Robert Bly 19. The Post-Feminist Men's Movement Aaron Kipnis 20. Healing, Community and Justice in the Men's Movement: Towards a Socially Responsible Model of Masculinity Onaje Benjamin 21. Mythopoetic Men's Movements Shepherd Bliss 22. We've Come a Long Way Too, Baby. And We've Still Got a Ways to Go. So Give Us a Break! Marvin Allen 23. 25 Years in the Men's Movement Jed Diamond Part VI: Conclusion: Can We All Get Along? 24. Why Mythopoetic Men Don't Flock to NOMAS Michael Schwalbe 25. In Defense of the Men's Movements Don Shewey 26. Betwixt and Between in the Men's Movement Mike Dash Afterword: Tame Questions of Wild Men Michael S. Kimmel Contributors
