Men, Masculinity and the Media (SAGE Series on Men and Masculinity) (Paperback)

~ (Editor)
Key Phrases: transatlantic gaze, black male athletes, glam metal, The Cosby Show, Evening Shade, Heathcliff Huxtable (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

She can bring home the bacon, fry it up in the pan, and please her man: The popular media influence perceptions of women and their role(s) in society. But what of men? Indeed, men and masculinity have been the norm, the yardstick against which women--and the women's movement--have been measured. Although the development of men's studies has gained momentum, little has been published that focuses on the media and their relationship to men as men. Men, Masculinity, and the Media addresses this shortcoming. Scholars from communication studies, sociology, social studies, humanities, and political science investigate past media research on men and masculinity. They also examine how the media serve to construct masculinities, how men and their relationships have been depicted, and how men respond to media images. From comic books and rock music to film and television, this ground-breaking volume scrutinizes the interrelationship among men, the media, and masculinity. ". . . ambitious in scope." --Journalism Quarterly "This volume, inaugurating Sage's Research on Men and Masculinity series, will be highly effective in mass media courses dealing with gender, an area where useful collections are sorely lacking. These essays vary in their degree of theoretical and methodological sophistication. Some will be sufficiently complex for graduate courses, while undergraduate students will appreciate others either for their discursive straightforwardness or for their grounding in cultural genres that undergraduates are seldom allowed to study, from sports coverage to heavy metal music. And since, among them, these essays cover such a large territory, the composite bibliography at the end will well serve those interested in further reading and research." --Journal of Communication "This volume is both evenly written and exceptionally readable. Key concepts are presented clearly, but they are not overly simplified. This book's strong conceptual and empirical foundation, in conjunction with the sophistication of its content, make the text ideal for graduate and advanced graduate students. Scholars will find [the book] a valuable reference." --Communication Quarterly "Men, Masculinity, and the Media is a welcome corrective. Collected here are articles that range widely in topic as well as in theoretical and analytical complexity, from straightforward content analyses of images of masculinity in comic books to feminist poststructuralist explorations of the male gaze in prime-time television programming. The strength of the volume is in both the range of theoretical orientations included and the representation of scholars from a variety of disciplines including sociology, communications, political science, and the humanities." --American Journal of Sociology "A valuable and needed anthology which investigates the many, intricate ways in which mass media contribute to social construction of masculinity in western, industrialized countries. . . . An excellent reference section is included." --Communication Booknotes ". . . Steve Craig's volume offers a comprehensive overview of recent research on masculinity and the media. It is accessible for both undergraduate and graduate students, and lends itself well to classroom teaching. The book also includes an extensive bibliography. Located at the intersection of communications and gender studies, Men, Masculinity, and the Media will further our understandings of the ways in which gender is both reproduced and contested. The collection will also stimulate further research in the field." --Canadian Journal of Communication

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Sage Publications, Inc (February 26, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803941633
• ISBN-13: 978-0803941632
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,627,766 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great research, bland presentation, November 6, 2001

By	Jonathan Kinser (Jacksonville, FL USA) - See all my reviews

I think this book, by format, is best suited to be used as a research tool, and as a source for students like myself to find information to support papers dealing with its subject. This book does an excellent job of gathering the information and statistics on the effects and influence of media on males and makes it clear that the men presented in the media reflect a minority in the male community. However, it presents this information in a dry, unentertaining manner. After reading it I feel that the information is very important, but I feel that the authors present it in a way that makes it largely inaccessible to those who could benefit from it most, the common man. I think that after reading this book most men would have a different outlook on media, from the advertising industry all the way to the format driven set up of sitcoms. Perhaps it would even alleviate some of the pressure men feel to be like the men they see in the media. I fear that it would be very unlikely to find anyone reading this book that would not be using it as a research tool.