Omnivore - A Manhood Problem (and a Rebuttal to Hanna Rosin)

Here is another feast of links form Bookforum's Omnivore blog - this time all of the links are related to men, masculinity, social gender theory, and other related topics - some interesting articles.

One of the articles linked below, by Hanna Rosin (The End of Men) is adapted from her opening statement at the Munk Debate, “Resolved: Men Are Obsolete,” held in Toronto. In it she offers a list of reasons supporting her contention that men are obsolete (not in a biological sense, but in a social constructivist sense).

Here are her five evidence points:

ONE: It’s the end of men because men are failing in the workplace [curator: and in education].
TWO: It’s the end of men because the traditional household, propped up by the male breadwinner, is vanishing.
THREE: It’s the end of men because we can see it in the working and middle class.
FOUR: It’s the end of men because men have lost their monopoly on violence and aggression.
FIVE: It’s the end of men because men, too, are now obsessed with their body hair.

These are weak points aside from number one. Point two is relevant, but not necessarily a bad thing if the men are still involved in raising their kids (but they often aren't).

Once again, as I have argued before, this is not the end of men any more than the 60s and 70s was the end of women. Men are in a transitional space as far as our role in society, and how we navigate this transition will determine whether men evolve into greater care and compassion, or retrench themselves in traditional, domination models of masculinity. How women engage this transition will make all of the difference.

A manhood problem

Apr 21 2014
9:00AM

• The inaugural issue of Violence and Gender is out. 
• Ryan Schacht, Kristin Liv Rauch, and Monique Borgerhoff Mulder (UC-Davis): Too Many Men: The Violence Problem? 
• Ying Jie Chen (NTU): Surplus Males and Societal Implications. 
• Deniese Kennedy-Kollar (Molloy) and Christopher A. D. Charles (West Indies): Hegemonic Masculinity and Mass Murderers in the United States. 
• Luke A. Boso (Savannah): Policing Masculinity in Small-Town America. 
• Ann McGinley (UNLV) and William S. Boyd (Suffolk): How Masculinities Distribute Power: The Influence of Ann Scales. 
• Kaitlin Clinnin (OSU): Playing with Masculinity: Gender Bending in Second Life. 
• Michael J. Higdon (Tennessee): Marginalized Fathers and Demonized Mothers: A Feminist Look at the Reproductive Freedom of Unmarried Men. 
• Jonathan Crowe (Queensland): Can Men Be Feminists? 
• Mark Karlin on how America continues to suffer the male rage of the “white wing”. 
• This American Bro: John Saward on a portrait of the worst guy ever. 
• Erin Gloria Ryan on the United States of Bros: A map and field guide. 
• Men, manliness, and being naked around other men: Richard Senelick on a culture that tells people to "man up" when it comes to nudity. 
• Chris Hayes, pro athletes and “being a man”: Elizabeth Stoker on our demented masculinity debate. 
• Does the rise of men’s sexual objectification = equality? 
• Audra Schroeder on what society would look like if men experienced street harassment. 
• Your friends and rapists: Sarah Nicole Prickett on how dick culture permits the crime. 
• Hanna Rosin on why men are obsolete. 
• Lydia DePillis on the end of men, in one chart. 
• Men of the world, lean out! 
• A mere six-pack doesn't cut it in Hollywood anymore; today's male stars need 5 percent body fat, massive pecs, and the much-coveted inguinal crease. 
• David Brooks says Obama has “a manhood problem in the Middle East”.