Introduction to the Studies on Men and Masculinities
Department of Gender Studies, CEU
2014-15 Fall Term
MA course, 2 credits
Professor: Miklós Hadas
Wednesdays: 3.30 – 5.10pm
Course Description:
This course provides an introduction to some important trends in the studies on men and masculinities and gives an historical overview of the main paradigm-shifts within this growing field of knowledge. My goal is to make understand how specialists have conceptualized the issues of men and masculinities during the last few decades. The course will be divided into four parts, each of which consisting of three lessons. The first part will offer a historical and epistemological introduction to the subject. As for the second part, we will concentrate on the hegemonic masculinity-concept, the most often-used term by experts of the field. The third part will broaden the focus in order to demonstrate the impact of this sub-discipline on philosophy, historiography, and representation studies.
During the last part – using Bourdieu against Bourdieu –, I would not only intend to present a critical re-reading of the eminent French sociologist’s Masculine Domination but also like to explore how masculine dispositions have changed in the course of the “long” 19th century.
Requirements and grading:
- Active participation, presentations and discussions in the class: 40%
The selected texts will be discussed in the classroom; active participation in lectures & comprehensive reading of actual literature prior to classes is a requirement. Each student will be responsible for (co-)presenting / (co-)introducing one of the compulsory texts.
- Reaction papers: 60%
Reaction papers (from half to five single spaced pages each) might contain either a brief summary of the key points in the readings or / and some paragraphs of commentary, critique, further ideas, problems and questions. Reaction papers are expected to be sent by e-mail directly to the instructor two days before classes (not later than on Mondays at 3pm).
Detailed Schedule
I. THE SOCIAL EMBEDDEDNESS OF THE STUDIES ON MEN AND MASCULINITIES
1. The Social Construction of Scientific Knowledge
Readings:
- Bloor, David (1991): Knowledge and Social Imagery. University of Chicago Press.
Chapter 4 on the Popper-Kuhn debate. 55-84.
- Bourdieu, Pierre (2004): Science of Science and Reflexivity. University of Chicago Press.
Chapters 1-2.
2. The Postmodern Turn and Emerging New Standpoints
Readings:
- Harding, Sandra (ed.) (2004): The Feminist Standpoint Theory Reader. London: Routledge. Introduction.
- Haraway, Donna (1988): Situated Knowledges: The Science Question in Feminism and the Privilege of Partial Perspective. Feminist Studies. Volume 14. No. 3. 575-599.
3. Institutionalization of the Studies on Men and Masculinities
Readings:
- Brod, Harry (1987): Introduction: Themes and Theses of Men’s Studies. in: Brod (ed): The Making of Masculinities. Allan and Unwin. 1-19.
- Whitehead, Stephen, M. and Barrett, Frank, J. (2001): The Sociology of Masculinity. In: Whitehead and Barrett (eds): The Masculinities Reader. Polity. 1-27.
II. HEGEMONIC MASCULINITY
4. The Concept
- Connell, R. W (1995): Masculinities. Polity. Part I. 1-87.
5. Critiques
- Whitehead, Stephen(2002): Men and Masculinities: key themes and new directions. Polity.
Chapter 3 on Power and Resistance. 83-112.
- Tosh, John (2004): Hegemonic Masculinity and the History of Gender In: Dudink, Stefan-Hagemann, Karen-Tosh, John (eds): Masculinities in Politics and War: Gendering Modern History. Manchester University Press. 41-58.
6. Rethinking
- Connell, R. W.- Messerschmidt, W. James (2005): Hegemonic masculinity. Rethinking the concept. Gender and Society. 19. (6). 829-859.
III. MASCULINITIES IN SOCIAL SCIENCES
7. Masculinity, Philosophy and Social Theory
- Bologh, Roslyn Wallach (1990): Love or Greatness. Max Weber and Masculine Thinking – A Feminist Inquiry. London: Unwin Hyman. 1-2, 26-39.
- Seidler, Victor, J. (1994): Introduction: Masculinity, Modernity and Social theory. In: Unreasonable Men. Masculinity and Social Theory. London: Routledge. 1-12.
8. What Can Historians Do with Masculinity?
- Tosh, John (1994): What Should Historians do with Masculinity? Reflections on Nineteenth-century Britain, History Workshop Journal. 38, 179–202.
- Davidoff, Leonore – Hall, Catherine (2002): Family Fortunes. Man and Women of the English Middle Class. 1780–1850. New York, Routledge, 28–35.
9. Representation of Masculinities
- Powrie, Phil–Babington, Bruce–Davies, Ann (2004): Introduction: Turning the Male Inside Out, in P. Powrie–B. Babington–A. Davies (eds.) The Trouble with Men. Masculinities in European and Hollywood Cinema. London, Wallflower Press. 1–18.
- Jeffords, Susan (1989): The Remasculinization of America: Gender and the Vietnam War, Chapter 6. Indiana University Press. 168-186.
IV. MASCULINITY AS HABITUS?
10. The ”Masculine Domination” of Pierre Bourdieu
- Bourdieu, Pierre (2001): Masculine Domination. Cambridge: Polity.
11. The „Masculine Domination”: a Critique
- Hadas, Miklós (2003): The Sociologist and the Paradigm-Alchemy: on Pierre Bourdieu’s Masculine Domination. Review of Sociology. Vol 9 (2003). 139-149.
- Skeggs, Beverly (2004): Context and Background: Pierre Bourdieu’s analysis of class, gender and sexuality. In: Adkins, Lisa and Skeggs, Beverly (eds): Feminism after Bourdieu. Blackwell. 19-35.
12. Changing Patterns of Masculine Dispositions
- Hadas, Miklós (2007): Gymnastic exercises, or “work wrapped in the gown of youthful joy”. Masculinities and the Civilizing Process in 19th century Hungary. Journal of Social History. Fall 2007. 161-180.
-Hadas, Miklós: Gentlemen in Competition: Athletics and Masculinities in Nineteenth-century Hungary. The International Journal of the History of Sport. Vol. 24, No. 4, April 2007, 478-498.