Men and masculinities in modern Britain

Matt Houlbrook is a Professor of Cultural History at the University of BirminghamKatie Jones is an Independent Scholar living in BirminghamBen Mechen is a Lecturer of Modern British History at University College London

'Men and Masculinities in Modern Britain brings together a fascinating cross section of the high-quality research being undertaken examining historical masculinities as well as useful reflections on doing the research. Fundamentally, this book should be, and likely will be, a staple for those studying and researching masculinities in the past and in the present for a long time to come.'Linsey Robb, Journal of British Studies (2025), 64, e52, 1–2 'Two years later, the edited collection’s stated mission of “undoing” masculinity makes this book a more prevalent history for the present than ever. It is an essential read for gender historians and a usefulguide for academics who aspire to use their research to challenge established norms in favour of a more equal society.'Emma Carson, Social History

• Introduction: Histories for the presentMatt Houlbrook, Katie Jones, and Ben Mechen Part I: INSTITUTIONS1: Male breadwinners of ‘doubtful sex’: Trans men and the welfare state, 1954-1970Adrian Kane-Galbraith2: Reading colonial masculinity through a marriage in BurmaJonathan Saha3: ‘Crutches as weapons’: Reading Blackness and the disabled soldier body in the First World WarHilary BuxtonReflection: Male historians explain things to me: Masculinity, expertise, and the academyCharlotte RileyPart II: HISTORIES4: ‘Formal qualifications for full masculine status’? Challenging the fragmentation of the male lifecycle through the First World War pension archivesJessica Meyer5: Reimagining working-class masculinities in the twentieth century Helen Smith6: Perceptions of crisis in the history of masculinity: Power and change in modern BritainBen GriffinReflection: Masculinities and history for the presentJohn ToshPart III: EVERYDAY LIVES7: Gender, locality, and culture: revisiting masculinities in the Liverpool docklands, 1900-1939Pat Ayers8: Struggling ‘heroes’: Everyday masculine encounters in the public library, c. 1890s-1920sMichelle Johansen9: Fathers, sons, and ‘normal’, ‘ordinary’ family life, 1945-1974Richard HallReflection: Doing gender history and the history of masculinityMichael RoperPart IV: BODIES10: Dirty magazines, clean consciences: Men and pornography in the 1970sBen Mechen11: ‘It’s more what me and my partner feel comfortable with’: Gay masculinities, safer sex, and Project Sigma, 1987-1996Katie JonesReflection: Writing the history of male sexuality in the wake of Operation Yewtree and #MeTooHannah CharnockConclusion: Histories, historians, and the politics of masculinityLucy Delap and John Tosh, in conversation