Brutes in Suits: Male Sensibility in America, 1890--1920 (Gender Relations in the American Experience)

Are men truly predisposed to violence and aggression? Is it the biological fate of males to struggle for domination over women and vie against one another endlessly? These and related queries have long vexed philosophers, social scientists, and other students of human behavior. In Brutes in Suits, historian John Pettegrew examines theoretical writings and cultural traditions in the United States to find that, Darwinian arguments to the contrary, masculine aggression can be interpreted as a modern strategy for taking power. Drawing ideas from varied and at times seemingly contradictory sources, Pettegrew argues that traditionally held beliefs about masculinity developed largely through language and cultural habit -- and that these same tools can be employed to break through the myth that brutishness is an inherently male trait.A major re-synthesis of late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century manhood, Brutes in Suits develops ambitious lines of research into the social science of sexual difference and professional history's celebration of rugged individualism; the hunting-and-killing genre of popular men's literature; that master text of hypermasculinity: college football; military culture, war making, and finding pleasure in killing; and patriarchy, sexual jealousy, and the law. This timely assessment of the evolution of masculine culture will be welcomed and debated by social and intellectual historians for years to come. Contents......Page 8 Preface......Page 10 Introduction. The De-Evolutionary Turn in U.S. Masculinity......Page 16 Darwin and Evolutionary Psychology, Then and Now......Page 18 John Dewey, Pierre Bourdieu, and Masculinity as a Habit of Mind......Page 24 “The Caveman within Us” and the Masculinist Culture of Mimicry......Page 30 1 Rugged Individualism......Page 36 Frederick Jackson Turner’s Frontier Thesis: Origins, Composition, and Meanings......Page 40 Turner’s Influence on the Social Psychology of the City......Page 55 Radical Individualism: Masculinist Art, Angst, and Alienation in the City......Page 63 Dudism, Cowgirl Feminism, and the Search for Authenticity in the “Old West”......Page 76 2 Brute Fictions......Page 92 The American Literary Genre of Hunting and Killing......Page 96 Reading for Plot: Call of the Wild, The Virginian, and the New Male Readership......Page 109 Irony, Atavism, and Other Variations on the De-Evolutionary Theme......Page 126 3 College Football......Page 143 Thorstein Veblen and the Rise of “Exotic Ferocity” in American College Football......Page 146 Victor Turner, Stanford Football, and Hypermasculine Liminal Subjects......Page 155 Clifford Geertz at the Big Game: “Thick Description” of Football as the Cultural Equivalent of War......Page 175 4 War in the Head......Page 212 Civil War Memory, Blood Sacrifice, and Modern American Fighting Spirit......Page 215 Of Rough Riders, Blood Brothers, and Roosevelt the Berserker......Page 233 War as Sport for Doughboys, Golden Boys, and Slackers......Page 257 Postscript: Marine Corps Spirit and the U.S. Warrior Class, 1941–2003......Page 270 5 Laws of Sexual Selection......Page 284 Race, Lynch Law, and the Manly Provocation......Page 286 Marriage, Cultural Defense in The People v. Chen, and the Heat-of-Passion Defense in Texas......Page 306 Compulsory Heterosexuality, the Charles Atlas Muscle-Beach Fable, and Sexual Dimorphism Unbound......Page 321 Epilogue. Irony, Instinct, and War......Page 334 Irony, Sam Fussell’s Muscle, and Masculinity as a “Parodic Tableau Vivant”......Page 335 Instinct, Deep Masculinity, and the Decline of Males......Page 340 The Iraq War, Hypermasculinity, and the Metaphor of Disease......Page 345 Notes......Page 350 Essay on Sources......Page 400 B......Page 414 C......Page 415 E......Page 416 G......Page 417 I......Page 418 L......Page 419 N......Page 420 R......Page 421 S......Page 422 W......Page 423 Z......Page 424 Illustrations......Page 195

Are men truly predisposed to violence and aggression? Is it the biological fate of males to struggle for domination over women and vie against one another endlessly?

These and related queries have long vexed philosophers, social scientists, and other students of human behavior. In Brutes in Suits, historian John Pettegrew examines theoretical writings and cultural traditions in the United States to find that, Darwinian arguments to the contrary, masculine aggression can be interpreted as a modern strategy for taking power. Drawing ideas from varied and at times seemingly contradictory sources, Pettegrew argues that traditionally held beliefs about masculinity developed largely through language and cultural habit—and that these same tools can be employed to break through the myth that brutishness is an inherently male trait.

A major re-synthesis of late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century manhood, Brutes in Suits develops ambitious lines of research into the social science of sexual difference and professional history’s celebration of rugged individualism; the hunting-and-killing genre of popular men’s literature; that master text of hypermasculinity: college football; military culture, war making, and finding pleasure in killing; and patriarchy, sexual jealousy, and the law. This timely assessment of the evolution of masculine culture will be welcomed and debated by social and intellectual historians for years to come.

Are men truly predisposed to violence and aggression? Is it the biological fate of males to struggle for domination over women and vie against one another endlessly?

These and related queries have long vexed philosophers, social scientists, and other students of human behavior. In Brutes in Suits, historian John Pettegrew examines theoretical writings and cultural traditions in the United States to find that, Darwinian arguments to the contrary, masculine aggression can be interpreted as a modern strategy for taking power. Drawing ideas from varied and at times seemingly contradictory sources, Pettegrew argues that traditionally held beliefs about masculinity developed largely through language and cultural habit—and that these same tools can be employed to break through the myth that brutishness is an inherently male trait.

A major re-synthesis of late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century manhood, Brutes in Suits develops ambitious lines of research into the social science of sexual difference and professional history’s celebration of rugged individualism; the hunting-and-killing genre of popular men’s literature; that master text of hypermasculinity: college football; military culture, war making, and finding pleasure in killing; and patriarchy, sexual jealousy, and the law. This timely assessment of the evolution of masculine culture will be welcomed and debated by social and intellectual historians for years to come.

In Brutes In Suits, John Pettegrew Examines Theoretical Writings And Cultural Traditions In The United States To Find That, Darwinian Arguments To The Contrary, Masculine Aggression Can Be Interpreted As A Modern Strategy For Taking Power. Drawing Ideas From Varied And At Times Seemingly Contradictory Sources, Pettegrew Argues That Traditionally Held Beliefs About Masculinity Developed Largely Through Language And Cultural Habit - And That These Same Tools Can Be Employed To Break Through The Myth That Brutishness Is An Inherently Male Trait. A Major Re-synthesis Of Late Nineteenth- And Early Twentieth-century Manhood, Brutes In Suits Develops Ambitious Lines Of Research Into The Social Science Of Sexual Difference And Professional History's Celebration Of Rugged Individualism; The Hunting-and-killing Genre Of Popular Men's Literature; That Master Text Of Hypermasculinity: College Football; Military Culture, War Making, And Finding Pleasure In Killing; And Patriarchy, Sexual Jealousy, And The Law. This Assessment Of The Evolution Of Masculine Culture Will Be Welcomed And Debated By Social And Intellectual Historians.--jacket. Introduction : The De-evolutionary Turn In U.s. Masculinity -- Rugged Individualism -- Brute Fictions -- College Football -- War In The Head -- Laws Of Sexual Selection -- Epilogue : Irony, Instinct, And War. John Pettegrew. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [335]-398) And Index.