Men and Masculinity – serie

Men who do 'women's work' have consistently been the butt of jokes, derided for their lack of drive and masculinity. In this eye-opening study, Christine Williams provides a wholly new look at men who work in predominantly female jobs. Having conducted extensive interviews in four cities, Williams uncovers how men in four occupations - nursing, elementary school teaching, librarian ship, and social work - think about themselves and experience their work. Contrary to popular imagery, men in traditionally female occupations do not define themselves differently from men in more traditional occupations. Williams finds that most embrace conventional, masculine values. Her findings about how these men fare in their jobs are also counterintuitive. Rather than being surpassed by the larger number of women around them, these men experience the 'glass escalator effect', rising in disproportionate numbers to administrative jobs at the top of their professions. Williams finds that a complex interplay between gendered expectations embedded in organizations, and the socially determined ideas workers bring to their jobs, contribute to mens' advantages in these occupations.Using a feminist psychoanalytic perspective, Williams calls for more men not only to cross over to women's occupations, but also to develop alternative masculinities that find common ground with traditionally female norms of cooperation and caring. Until the workplace is sexually integrated and masculine and feminine norms equally valued, it will unfortunately remain 'still a man's world'.

It was a crime that captured national attention. In the idyllic suburb of Glen Ridge, New Jersey, four of the town's most popular high school athletes were accused of raping a retarded young woman while nine of their teammates watched. Everyone was riveted by the question: What went wrong in this seemingly flawless American town? In search of the answer, Bernard Lefkowitz takes the reader behind Glen Ridge's manicured facade into the shadowy basement that was the scene of the rape, into the mansions on 'Millionaire's Row', into the All-American high school, and finally into the courtroom where justice itself was on trial. Lefkowitz's sweeping narrative, informed by more than 200 interviews and six years of research, recreates a murky adolescent world that parents didn't - or wouldn't - see: a high school dominated by a band of predatory athletes; a teenage culture where girls were frequently abused and humiliated at sybaritic and destructive parties, and a town that continued to embrace its celebrity athletes - despite the havoc they created - as 'our guys'.But that was not only true of Glen Ridge; Lefkowitz found that the unqualified adulation the athletes received in their town was echoed in communities throughout the nation. Glen Ridge was not an aberration. The clash of cultures and values that divided Glen Ridge, Lefkowitz writes, still divides the country. Parents, teachers, and anyone concerned with how children are raised, how their characters are formed, how boys and girls learn to treat each other, will want to read this important book.

In this compelling study of machismo in Mexico City, Matthew Gutmann overturns many stereotypes of male culture in Mexico and offers a sensitive and often surprising look at how Mexican men see themselves, parent their children, relate to women, and talk about sex. This tenth anniversary edition features a new preface that updates the stories of the book's key protagonists.

One of the Children: Gay Black Men in Harlem provides a groundbreaking ethnographic account of the lives of gay black men residing in Harlem. This community, often overlooked in academic literature, is presented through the lens of the author’s two-year participant-observation fieldwork, revealing a vibrant, interconnected network of individuals who navigate dual identities rooted in both their racial and sexual identities. The book uncovers how these men construct their lives around "fictive kin" relationships, community social networks, and culturally significant expressions of identity. By participating in Harlem's social institutions and private gatherings, the author delves into the complexities of their lived experiences, emphasizing the unique challenges and resilience that define their existence within a broader societal framework often marked by homophobia and racial discrimination.The study not only challenges stereotypes of black men as marginalized "street corner figures" but also redefines their role within Harlem’s urban and cultural landscape. Through detailed chapters, the author examines the intersection of gay and black identities, the impact of community and social networks, and the influence of broader black and gay cultural narratives. Central to the book is an exploration of the profound effects of the AIDS epidemic on these communities, capturing both the adversity faced and the solidarity fostered in response. The ethnography underscores the rich, multi-layered identities of gay black men in Harlem, offering valuable insights into how they shape their social and cultural worlds while navigating broader societal challenges.This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1996.