Taxonomy of Men's Studies Discourses

Warren Hedges English Dept. Southern Oregon University 11/96

Discourse

1990-present

late 80s

early 80s

late 70's

High Theory & underlying frameworks of thought for academic environments.

Queer Theory

Focaultian Genealogy

French Feminism

Liberal Feminist Thought

Academic Discourse aimed at a broad audience
Hasn't quite emerged. The RESearch collection Angry Women might be a model. Mark Simpson's Male Impersonators and Fred Pfeil's White Guys comes close. History of masculinities. Attempt to understand masculinity as something historically and ethnically specific, as in Kimmel's recent book. Images of men criticism. Male academics begin incorporating feminist theory into their work. Debates about whether they're trying to take over the field. Engagement with second wave feminist work. Attempt to work out how male characters and author's are related to feminist goals.

Lefty Male Activism about gender and sexuality.
Increasing emphasis on anti-homophobia, connections between straight, gay, & queer concerns "Profeminist" becomes dominant label as models shift from identity to coalition politics. Goals may overlap even if experiences & motives are different. "Sensitive man" critiqued as self-serving pose. Activism begins to shift from "helping women" to changing other men. Anti-sexist politics. Altruistic, liberal, and subordinate models of male activist's relation to feminism compete.

Popular culture
Interest in "third wave" feminism. "Gender fuck," and "gender hacking" become more common experiences for young men, as does a familiarity with gay, lesbian, and queer cultures. Bly and other white men schooled when Jungian & Fryean archetypes were promoted attempt to recover experiences & communities they feel they've lost. Some turning away from active engagement with feminism in response to perceived equation between "feminism" and a separatist, anti-porn position. Celebration of "the sensitive man" (ala Alan Alda). Personal growth community promotes notion that men can benefit from escaping constrictive "sex roles."

Discourse	1990-present	late 80s	early 80s	late 70's
High Theory & underlying frameworks of thought for academic environments.	Queer Theory	Focaultian Genealogy	French Feminism	Liberal Feminist Thought
Academic Discourse aimed at a broad audience	Hasn't quite emerged. The RESearch collection Angry Women might be a model. Mark Simpson's Male Impersonators and Fred Pfeil's White Guys comes close.	History of masculinities. Attempt to understand masculinity as something historically and ethnically specific, as in Kimmel's recent book.	Images of men criticism. Male academics begin incorporating feminist theory into their work. Debates about whether they're trying to take over the field.	Engagement with second wave feminist work. Attempt to work out how male characters and author's are related to feminist goals.
Lefty Male Activism about gender and sexuality.	Increasing emphasis on anti-homophobia, connections between straight, gay, & queer concerns	"Profeminist" becomes dominant label as models shift from identity to coalition politics. Goals may overlap even if experiences & motives are different.	"Sensitive man" critiqued as self-serving pose. Activism begins to shift from "helping women" to changing other men.	Anti-sexist politics. Altruistic, liberal, and subordinate models of male activist's relation to feminism compete.
Popular culture	Interest in "third wave" feminism. "Gender fuck," and "gender hacking" become more common experiences for young men, as does a familiarity with gay, lesbian, and queer cultures.	Bly and other white men schooled when Jungian & Fryean archetypes were promoted attempt to recover experiences & communities they feel they've lost.	Some turning away from active engagement with feminism in response to perceived equation between "feminism" and a separatist, anti-porn position.	Celebration of "the sensitive man" (ala Alan Alda). Personal growth community promotes notion that men can benefit from escaping constrictive "sex roles."