Plural Masculinities : The Remaking of the Self in Private Life

Plural Masculinities offers a contemporary portrait of the plural dynamics and forms of masculinity, emphasizing the multiple, even contradictory, pathways through which men are remaking their identities. Proceeding from the premise that it is impossible to fully understand masculinity without considering its connection with family change and women's change, it places men and masculinities within the realm of family life, examining men's practices and discourses in their relationships with women and their changing femininities. Combining an empirical study based in Portugal with cross-national analyses of attitudes towards ideal gender arrangements in Europe and the USA, this book examines the various ways in which men come to define their identities and will appeal to those working in the fields of masculinities, gender studies and the sociology of the family. Cover 1 Half Title 2 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Table of Contents 6 List of Tables 8 Acknowledgements 10 Introduction Plural Masculinities: Evidence from the Field 12 1 From Dualism to Pluralism: The Power of Categories and the Making of Gender 24 2 Domination, Hegemony and Hybrid Selves: Rethinking the Plural Dynamics of Masculinity 48 3 Masculinities and Private Life: Power Behind the Scenes 72 4 Labour and Love: The Gender Division of Labour and Caring in a Cross-National Perspective 94 5 Inclusion, Defamilialization, Autonomy: The Changing Boundaries of Masculinities within Family Life 122 6 Of Pleasure and Violence: Sex and Sexuality in Men’s Discourses 148 Conclusion Reinventing Patriarchy? Renegotiating Power and Identities 168 Bibliography 176 Index 200 Combining an empirical study based in Portugal with cross-national analyses of attitudes towards ideal gender arrangements in Europe and the USA, Plural Masculinities examines the various ways in which men come to define their identities and will appeal to those working in the fields of masculinities, gender studies and the sociology of the family.