Rediscovering Masculinity

Book excerpt: Men have responded to feminism with feelings of anxiety, guilt and unease. It has taken time for men to consider ways of changing themselves rather than hiding behind feminist rhetoric. Since the mid '70s a structuralist interpretation of feminism has led to new perceptions of power, domination, oppression and sexuality. The author argues that historically masculinity has been identified with reason and femininity with emotion, so men have been trained to speak for others before learning to speak for themselves. Victor Seidler uses some prevalent positions in social theory to expose the main contradictions in received ideas of power, language and sexuality. Topics discussed include: reason, sexuality, change, control, identity, language, strength and intimacy.