tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7372876601826078687.post7828202955680225842..comments2024-03-05T05:53:36.239-07:00Comments on The Masculine Heart: Is the Creation of "Males Studies" Part of the War on Men?william harrymanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06981478282688361274noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7372876601826078687.post-30292730305301979032010-04-18T07:46:45.988-07:002010-04-18T07:46:45.988-07:00Hey Paul,
You raise some good points.
I do not ...Hey Paul,<br /><br />You raise some good points. <br /><br />I do not think feminism is above criticism and I have done a fair bit of looking at the ways feminism has hurt males - on the other hand, I sense a tone of antagonism in some of the Male Studies folks comments that needlessly sets up an us against them mentality (or the perception of such a mentality), which to me is counter-productive.<br /><br />Blaming feminism for <i>"a well-meaning, highly successful, very colorful denigration of maleness as a force, as a phenomenon"</i> is a rather limiting perspective - men have been complicit in this, as well, and it's not just feminism - the issue is much more integral than this.<br /><br />If we want to solve the problem, we need to think about this issues with a wider perspective - male behaviors that are entrenched in out-moded ideas of masculinity are part of the problem, as are socialization issues (the differences in how we raise boys and girls, which have nothing to do with feminism), as are cultural issues about what is expected of men, as are psychological issues in how men and women differ in real ways, but not as much as some people think.<br /><br />This is a huge topic that requires a wider and deeper perspective, so saying it is feminism that has caused all the problems is very wrong-headed, in my opinion.<br /><br />Yet it is true that "radical feminism" (not all feminists or feminisms) has contributed to the problems, and those ideas and issues need to be addressed and critiqued. But we will get nowhere by being antagonistic or hostile. <br /><br />We will get a lot further if we can work with women to help them understand us better.<br /><br />Peace,<br />Billwilliam harrymanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06981478282688361274noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7372876601826078687.post-8494449286549753362010-04-17T22:23:06.129-07:002010-04-17T22:23:06.129-07:00Perhaps you should define for your readers the dif...Perhaps you should define for your readers the difference between "attack" and other words like "critique."<br /><br />Or are you saying that feminism is above being critiqued?<br /><br />As was pointed out by two of the males studies conference speakers, any legitimate study of males in modern culture will involve a critique of feminist postmodernism, which has had a significant impact on the western male.<br /><br />Is it your contention that these academicians should only be allowed to approach their studies with a gag on where it concerns feminism?Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10357998886669401611noreply@blogger.com