TOPICS: MASCULINITIES in Spring 2022 (GS2091A)

With the news of the Harvey Weinstein scandal in October 2017, a new term entered the public stage: “toxic masculinity:” the narrow, bullying form of manhood that glorifies sexual conquest, violence, and the subjugation of others. The subsequent #MeToo debate for a long time appeared as a turning point in discussions of gender dynamics. Yet, ‘male prototypes’ continue to exercise power - think of for example Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearing for the Supreme Court. The questions remain: How have conceptions of masculinity developed historically? How do are they shaped culturally? What can we know, say and do about being and ‘acting like’ ‘a man’? This course tackles ‘masculinities’, commencing with historical contexualizations of classical ‘manhood’ before moving toward the pressing contemporary urgency to address the current, and highly mediated, ‘crisis in masculinity’. From #lockerroom talk to “mansplaining”, from “bread-winners” to patriarchal pants-wearers, from ‘silent types’ to machos, metrosexuals, tomboys and butches, we will interrogate the social forms and cultural practices, the common vernaculars and media-cinematic representations, the political economic frameworks and gendered sexualities that have stacked up to form ‘straight’ ‘queer’ and ‘alternative’ gender performances, giving special attention to what sociologist Raewyn Connell refers to as “hegemonic masculinity”. The course will navigate this emerging field in gender studies in dialogue with such theorists as: Michael Kimmel, Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, Raewyn Connell, Jack Halberstam, James W. Messerschmidt, et.al. and feature a range of guest speakers, screenings and debates.