Manhood Acts

Michael Schwalbe is Professor of Sociology at North Carolina State University. He is the author of many books, including The Sociologically Examined Life: Pieces of the Conversation (2007).

"Schwalbe (North Carolina State Univ.) sets out to illustrate the mutually constitutive nature of masculinity and a range of social and economic forms of domination[.] He introduces a new concept—"manhood acts"—to fill theoretical gaps in men's studies literature and, simultaneously, facilitate an analysis of the relationship between masculinity and various social phenomena...This book pushes for a deeper understanding of what gender is so that people may collectively begin to imagine a world without it...Summing up: Recommended. Most levels/libraries. —CHOICE “Manhood Acts is a must-read for students and scholars in men’s studies. Michael Schwalbe presents a valuable sociological analysis of masculinity and manhood. He uses critical gender theory to deconstruct masculinity and its destructive outcomes, from Auschwitz to ‘drone morality.’ Taking issue with the current focus in men’s studies on ‘multiple masculinities,’ Schwalbe argues that masculinity, as part of the hierarchical gender order, is based on domination of women and less-valued men. He ends with a radical feminist call for a gender-free society.” —Judith Lorber, Professor Emerita, Graduate Center and Brooklyn College, CUNY, author of Breaking the Bowls: Degendering and Feminist Change “In Manhood Acts, Michael Schwalbe develops a brave and compelling theory of manhood in all its manifestations, from relations between women and men to the dynamics of global capitalism. He offers an indispensable guide both to understanding patriarchy in its present form and to envisioning meaningful change.” —Allan Johnson, author of The Gender Knot: Unraveling Our Patriarchal Legacy “Michael Schwalbe has made the feminist case against male dominance with such clarity that any man reading, honestly, will flinch with self-recognition. But however uncomfortable this important book may make us, we owe him thanks for such a compelling analysis. With scholarly precision and political courage—conveyed in plain language—Schwalbe makes it clear that our collective future depends on transcending the pathological values of patriarchy. Linking masculinity to other forms of domination, he demonstrates why attention to gender is not a matter of ‘identity politics’ but of survival.” —Robert Jensen, Professor of Journalism, University of Texas–Austin, author of Getting Off: Pornography and the End of Masculinity

• Chapter 1 Gender Theory after Auschwitz; Chapter 2 The Masculinities Industry; Chapter 3 Theses on Manhood Acts; Chapter 4 Drone Morality; Chapter 5 Capitalism and the Compulsions of Manhood; Chapter 6 The Limits of Trans Liberalism; Chapter 7 Feminism or Barbarism;