DOCSLIB.ORG

GUYLAND: the Perilous World Where Boys Become Men by Michael Kimmel

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
GUYLAND: the Perilous World Where Boys Become Men by Michael Kimmel GUYLAND: The Perilous World Where Boys Become Men by Michael Kimmel 2012-2013 Common Book Teaching Materials Prepared by Corey Dressel Winona State University Brittney Greeno Tulin Unganer Winona State University 2012-2013 Common Book GUYLAND: The Perilous World Where Boys Become Men Michael Kimmel Dear Colleagues: Thank you for considering adopting Winona State’s 2012-13 Common Book, Guyland: The Perilous World Where Boys Become Men, by Michael Kimmel. Each year, the Common Book Project brings together many learners, readers, and teachers at Winona State through discussion of a single work. Based on extensive sociological research and interviews with hundreds of young people across the country, Guyland explores the complex social world in which boys, from age 16 to 26, are expected to make the transition to manhood. Kimmel argues that what was once a relatively clear and direct passage from adolescence to adulthood has become much more complicated and confusing, as many young men embark on an extended boyhood. Kimmel examines both the causes and the effects of this prolonged adolescence—for men and women—particularly its implications for adult relationships, families, and personal and professional success. With its focus on masculinity and gender roles more broadly, Guyland offers rich opportunities for interdisciplinary inquiry and conversation. Kimmel’s wide-ranging exploration of gender will offer a valuable contribution to Winona State’s 2012-13 university- wide “Well-Connected” theme. The book will be adopted in a range of classes, including many sections of first-year composition. Students are likely to see in Guyland reflections of their own experiences as they navigate the often disorienting terrain of the college social world and the transition to adulthood. These teaching materials, researched and designed by English graduate assistants Corey Dressel, Brittney Greeno, and Tulin Unganer, are provided as a courtesy for classroom use. They are designed primarily for adopters in introductory composition courses but may be used or adapted for courses in other areas. This packet contains general suggestions for teaching the book; questions for reading and discussion; writing projects; and suggestions for further reading. To adopt the book, simply include it (ISBN 978-0060831356) in your regular book order. Other information: Desk/examination copies: The English Department has a limited number of desk/exam copies; if you would like to request one, please contact Barb Nascak at [email protected]. Desk/exam copies may also be requested via the publisher’s website, harpercollins.com. Additional information, including an author biography and links to a number of relevant interviews with and articles by Kimmel, is available at the following websites: o http://www.harpercollins.com/author/microsite/About.aspx?authorid=297 57 o http://www.guyland.net/ 1 Winona State University 2012-2013 Common Book GUYLAND: The Perilous World Where Boys Become Men Michael Kimmel Author visits: Kimmel will visit WSU to discuss Guyland October 9-10, 2012, and again in spring 2013. His fall keynote address is tentatively scheduled for 7 pm, October 9, in Somsen Auditorium. Related programming will be publicized as the academic year begins. For additional copies of these materials, or for further information, please contact Ann-Marie Dunbar at [email protected]. Sincerely, Dr. Ann-Marie Dunbar Assistant Professor, English 308 Minné Hall, Winona State University Winona, MN 55987 507-457-2431 / [email protected] 2 Winona State University 2012-2013 Common Book GUYLAND: The Perilous World Where Boys Become Men Michael Kimmel TABLE OF CONTENTS PRE-READING QUESTIONS ............................................................................................ 4 SECTION 1 .............................................................................................................................. 5 Chapter 1│ Welcome to Guyland (1-23) Chapter 2│ “What’s The Rush?”: Guyland as a New Stage of Development (24-43) SECTION 2 ............................................................................................................................ 9 Chapter 3│ “Bros Before Hos”: The Guy Code (44-69) Chapter 4│ High School: Boot Camp for Guyland (70-94) SECTION 3 .......................................................................................................................... 14 Chapter 5│ The Rites of Almost-Men: Binge Drinking, Fraternity Hazing, and the Elephant Walk (95-122) Chapter 6│ Sports Crazy (123-43) SECTION 4 .......................................................................................................................... 18 Chapter 7│ Boys and Their Toys: Guyland’s Media (144-68) Chapter 8│ Babes in Boyland: Pornography (169-89) SECTION 5 .......................................................................................................................... 22 Chapter 9│ Hooking Up: Sex in Guyland (190-216) Chapter 10│ Predatory Sex and Party Rape (217-41) SECTION 6 .......................................................................................................................... 26 Chapter 11│ Girls in Guyland: Eyes on the Guys (242-64) Chapter 12│ “Just Guys” (265-90) WRITING PROJECTS ........................................................................................................ 30 BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................................. 34 Cover image: http://www.prioritytextbook.com/products/Human-Relations%3A-Principles-and- Practices-(7th-Edition)-Reece-IE.html. 3 Winona State University 2012-2013 Common Book GUYLAND: The Perilous World Where Boys Become Men Michael Kimmel PRE-READING QUESTIONS The following questions address a variety of topics discussed throughout Guyland. They are meant to introduce students to the major themes of the book and help students relate them to their personal experiences. 1. Consider the male figures in your life (brothers, fathers, uncles, friends, etc.). What key words would you use to describe these male figures? When you describe these male figures do you see a pattern in what type of words you are using to describe them? Is this pattern negative or positive? 2. How are young male adults represented in mass media? Would you say that this representation is positive or negative? Why or why not? 3. Have you ever heard of the Bro Code? What does it mean to you? Is it significant in young men’s lives? 4. What is the role of women (mothers, friends, girlfriends, sisters, peers, etc.) in a young man’s life? What key words would you use to describe these female figures? When you describe these female figures do you see a pattern in the type of words you are using to describe them? Is this pattern negative or positive? 5. What role do other guys play in a young man’s life? Think about an everyday situation in which two or more young males are hanging out together. What dynamic do you see? What do their actions say about their friendship? Who are guys trying to impress the most? 6. What is the definition of masculinity to you? When you think about the representation of masculinity in the past, do you see a shift in the definition today? 7. What is your understanding of hazing/initiation rituals? Consider the rituals of sports teams, fraternities/sororities, and other organizations such as the military. What is your experience with hazing? Was it a positive or negative experience? Why? 8. What role does watching pornography play in a young man’s life? How do guys view the women who are in it? 9. Who are the important adult figures/mentors in your life? What is their role? What makes them important? 4 Winona State University 2012-2013 Common Book GUYLAND: The Perilous World Where Boys Become Men Michael Kimmel SECTION 1 Chapter 1│ Welcome to Guyland (1-23) Chapter 2│ “What’s the Rush?”: Guyland as a New Stage of Development (24-43) TEACHING SUGGESTIONS 1. A short preview of the documentary Boys to Men, made by Frederick Marx via the Media Education Foundation, discusses teen culture, violent masculinity, and developing manhood. In May 2000—following school shootings in Columbine and elsewhere—32 boys aged 15 and 16 gathered in a TV studio in New Jersey to discuss how teenage boys are stereotyped in the media. Stop the video after each speech and discuss the problem that each boy highlights, then make a transition to Guyland. http://www.mediaed.org/cgbin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=228 2. After students have read Kimmel’s discussion of parents in Ch. 1-2 (esp. p. 19 and p. 38), show students the 9 Nov. 2009 cover of Time magazine and discuss the meaning of “helicopter parents.” Have the students read the article “Overprotecting Parents Can Lead Children to Develop ‘Peter Pan Syndrome’” on Science Daily’s website, originally published by the University of Granada. Discuss the effects of Wendy Syndrome versus Peter Pan Syndrome on the boys’ lives and how these syndromes can foster the construction of Guyland. Time cover: http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,20091130,00.html Article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070501112023.htm 3. After students have read “Markers of Adulthood: Marriage and Family” (30-32), have them read the article “How to Pick Your Right Girl,” written in 1944, a dating guide to help men choose their future wives. Which bullet points still fit in today’s society? What changes would you make to them to keep pace with contemporary culture? Why? http://artofmanliness.com/2012/03/30/dating-advice-from-1944-how-to-pick-
Load more

Recommended publications
  • S Joint Response to Accusations of Harassment, Misconduct and Bullying by Men Within the Field of Engaging Men and Boys in Gender Equality
    MenEngage Alliance and North American MenEngage Network (NAMEN)’s Joint Response to accusations of harassment, misconduct and bullying by men within the field of engaging men and boys in gender equality 15 August 2018 It is with grave concern that we address two distinct cases of allegations of harassment, misconduct and bullying by two men, Michael Kimmel, Professor of Sociology at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, and Ravi Karkara, Senior Advisor at UN Women, who are considered longstanding leaders in the field of engaging men and boys in gender equality. We acknowledge that the investigation into these cases is still in progress. However, while we await the outcomes of formal investigation processes, we believe silence and inaction is not an option. MenEngage Alliance takes a survivor-centered approach to such cases, which involves listening to and supporting survivors. We do not need to wait until someone has been formally charged or proven guilty in order to offer those who have come forward empathy and ally-ship. While the specific allegations of these cases differ significantly, we agree that these cases share key underlying factors that have become all too familiar. Namely, men in positions of power are alleged to have used and abused their influence to manipulate, coerce, bully and systematically subordinate others - which includes deeply troubling reports of sexual harassment and misconduct. The nature of these allegations is all the more concerning because the two men who are implicated have been widely regarded as leading advocates and mentors to others in our field for many years.
    [Show full text]
  • Global Masculinities Edited by Michael Kimmel and Judith Kegan Gardiner
    Global Masculinities Edited by Michael Kimmel and Judith Kegan Gardiner Michael Kimmel is Professor of Sociology at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. He is the author or editor of more than twenty books, including: Men’s Lives , Guyland: The Perilous World Where Boys Become Men , The Gendered Society , The Politics of Manhood , and Manhood in America: A Cultural History. He edits Men and Masculinities , an interdisciplinary scholarly journal, and edited the Encyclopedia of Men and Masculinities and the Handbook of Studies on Men and Masculinities. He consults with corporations, NGOs, and public sector organizations all over the world on gender equity issues, including work-family balance, reducing workplace discrimination, and promoting diversity. Judith Kegan Gardiner is Professor of English and of Gender and Women’s Studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Her books are Craftsmanship in Context: The Development of Ben Jonson’s Poetry and Rhys, Stead, Lessing, and the Politics of Empathy. She is the editor of the volumes Provoking Agents: Gender and Agency in Theory and Practice ; Masculinity Studies and Feminist Theory; and a co-editor of the International Encyclopedia of Men and Masculinities . She is also a member of the editorial board for the interdisciplinary journal Feminist Studies . Published by Palgrave Macmillan: Masculine Style: The American West and Literary Modernism By Daniel Worden Men and Masculinities Around the World: Transforming Men’s Practices Edited by Elisabetta Ruspini, Jeff Hearn, Bob Pease, and Keith Pringle Constructions of Masculinity in British Literature from the Middle Ages to the Present Edited by Stefan Horlacher Becoming the Gentleman: British Literature and the Invention of Modern Masculinity, 1660–1815 By Jason D.
    [Show full text]
  • Prove It, President Trump
    “Nobody has more respect for women than I do.” Prove it, President Trump We come to you as a group of citizens – activists and that women’s rights will no longer be seen as human legislators, artists and writers, fathers, sons, and hus- rights, who fear for their own – and for their fami- bands. We happen to be men – men who believe in lies’ – futures. As a group of men who believe in full gender equality. We don’t speak for women. We raise equality for women, we, and many thousands of oth- our voices with them. We’re calling on you to show er men, marched with them. us all that you are a man who believes in women’s equality and opposes discrimination and violence We call on you now to take a stand as our Presi- of all kinds by men against women and girls. dent and to state and demonstrate unambiguous- ly that you will champion the rights of all wom- During the campaign, you said, “Nobody has more en: immigrant women, women of diverse religious respect for women than I do.” Yet, you have said faiths, and of all sexual orientations and identities, and done things that many people consider to be indigenous women, women of color, women with disrespectful. As men who believe manhood is not disabilities, women who are economically impover- about disrespecting women, we call on you to make ished, and women who are survivors of violence. amends and to set a new tone. As a group of men who believe in women’s rights, The United States has long been a global leader in and who fight for them in our personal and profes- promoting women’s empowerment and it should sional lives, we call on you to show the country and continue to be one – at home and abroad.
    [Show full text]
  • Masculinity As Homophobia
    , " *** *** *** 58 . RETHINKING FOUNDATIONS: THEORIZING SEX , GENDER , AND SEXUALITY MASCULINITY AS HOMoPHoBr, This idea that manhood is socially constructed and all new-fotmed ones become antiquated befote they histOrically shifting should not be understood as a loss can ossify. All that is solid melrs into air, all that is that something is being taken away from men. In fact holy is profaned, and man is at last compelled to face OPHOBIA it gives us something extraordinarily valuable-agency, . f Gender Identity with sobet senses, his real conditions of life, and his the capacity to act. It gives us a sense of historical pos- relarion with his kind. (Marx and Engels, 1848/1964) sibilities ro replace rhe despondent resignation that invariably attends timeless, ahistorical essential isms. DISCUSSION QUEStIONS Our behaviors ate not simply "jUSt human nature, because " boys will be boys." From the materials we An Ametican will build a house in which ro pass his definition of manhood accotding to Kimmel? Do you 1. What is the hegemonic find around us in our culture-other people, ideas, old age and sell it before the roof is on; he will plant years? think this definition has changed at all in recent objects-we actively create our worlds, our identities. a gatden and rent it just as the trees ate coming inro tOday? 2. Do you think Brannon s sumniarization of manhood still applies Men, both individually and collectively, can change. bearing; he will clear a field and leave others ro reap 3. Why must manhood be constanrly demonstrated? How does this need contribUte In this chaptet, I explore this social and historical the harvest; he will take up a profession and leave it to homophobia, racism, and sexism? Does femininity opetate similarly construction of both hegemonic masculiniry and alter- setrle in one place and soon go off elsewhere with his 4.
    [Show full text]
  • Michael Kimmel
    MICHAEL KIMMEL Three and a Half Things Men Have Learned from Feminist Scholarship Feminist scholarship has inspired me. Indeed, it rebooted my professional career away from an investigation of seventeenth-century French tax policies (the subject, I promise, of my PhD dissertation) and toward both helping to build a new subfield of gender studies centered on the critical investigation of men and masculinities and participating in that investigation myself through my research, mentoring, and writing. Here are several axiomatic statements about what I think we’ve learned so far: 1. Gender matters. Before the advent of feminist scholarship, gender was largely invisible: women were excluded, written out, and men were the generic, the universal. I often tell a story about how I gave a guest lecture in a course taught by a female colleague, and when I entered the class, one student looked up and said “Oh, finally, an objective opinion!” Women were biased; men were objective. By making women visible, feminist scholarship also made gender visible—and made visible the privilege men experienced that enabled us to believe we somehow embodied objectivity. 2. Gender is diverse. No sooner did feminist women make gender visible than we also had to understand that it is diverse. Not all men and not all women are similarly situated. Other master statuses—race, class, ethnicity, sexuality, age, religion, disability status—shape and construct our sense of ourselves as men and women. Men are not from Mars, women are not from Venus. Indeed, the differences among men and among women are far greater than any small mean differences one might find between women and men.
    [Show full text]
  • Boys Will Be
    City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works Capstones Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism Winter 12-13-2019 boys will be Victoria Hoffman Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gj_etds/377 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] Boys will be. Who they are. Whole. Human. Smart. Strong. Kind. Whoever ​ they are, regardless of what society says being a man is or looks like. Community Practicum Final Report: boyswillbe ​ An (ongoing) engagement project by Tori Hoffman Introduction & Background The name of my project comes from a very well-known phrase: boys will be boys. Michael Kimmel, an American sociologist and leading researcher and writer on men and masculinity, in 2012 asked, “Why don’t we say ‘boys will be boys’ when a man wins the Nobel Peace Prize?” And he asks a fair question. The phrase “boys will be boys” is often used to excuse problematic behavior rather than to celebrate the successes of men and boys. Boys need to see examples of what healthy, respectful manhood looks like and they have told me that when they share their experiences they feel more confident addressing unhealthy behaviors of their peers and problematic relationships or habits in their own life. They want to learn from each other. My project, Boys will be, reframes that famous phrase to be more open-minded and to signal less rigid definitions of manhood for a future generation of boys.
    [Show full text]
  • {PDF EPUB} Men Confront Pornography by Michael S
    Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} Men Confront Pornography by Michael S. Kimmel Men Confront Pornography. Former library book; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G0517569310I3N10. About this title: Synopsis: Forty male contributors consider how pornography affects their lives, sexuality, politics, and relationship with and views of women. From Publishers Weekly: Although a majority of the contributors to this anthology maintain that pornography is sexist and degrades women, a spectrum of sharply divergent opinions emerges. Some adopt the feminist position that porn institutionalizes male supremacy, others find artfulness and imagination in "the best of the pornographic tradition." Pornography is variously defined and examined here as a fantasy-enhancing tool, a therapeutic aid for married couples, an outlet caused by sexual scarcity, an addiction, the mechanized sex of consumer capitalism. Phillip Lopate suggests that porn draws its secret energies from its "sludgelike mediocrity." Jeffrey Masson excoriates novelized accounts of incest. The contributors, all men, react to the feminist-inspired crusade against pornography as they discuss issues ranging from legalized porn in Denmark to gay erotica to research on the behavioral effects of viewing sexually explicit materials. In this enriching volume, Kimmel, a sociologist and editor of Men's Lives , enlarges the dimensions of the contemporary debate on pornography. Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. Bibliographic Details. Title: Men Confront Pornography Publisher: Crown Publishing Group, The Publication Date: 1990 Binding: Hardcover Book Condition: Good Dust Jacket Condition: No Jacket. Men Confront Pornography by Michael S. Kimmel. Our systems have detected unusual traffic activity from your network.
    [Show full text]
  • Masculinities in Cyberspace: an Analysis of Portrayals of Manhood in Men’S Rights Activist Websites
    social sciences $€ £ ¥ Article Masculinities in Cyberspace: An Analysis of Portrayals of Manhood in Men’s Rights Activist Websites Rachel M. Schmitz 1,* and Emily Kazyak 2 1 Department of Sociology & Anthropology, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, TX 78539, USA 2 Department of Sociology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +1-402-640-0336 Academic Editors: Christine M. Robinson and Sue Spivey Received: 12 April 2016; Accepted: 6 May 2016; Published: 12 May 2016 Abstract: A growth in cultural ideologies concerned with men and masculinities in contemporary American society has recently emerged. Men’s rights activist (MRA) groups embody a movement emphasizing the crisis of masculinity. Despite men’s privileged societal status, MRAs seek to establish resources for men to utilize in elevating their perceived subordinated position in society in relation to women and social minorities. Little research has systematically investigated MRAs on the Internet, which is rapidly becoming a primary source of information and social connectedness for people. Through a content analysis of the 12 most prominent MRA websites, we explore the various strategies used by contemporary men’s groups designed to provide support for men in their pursuit of social legitimacy and power. Two primary categories of MRAs with distinctive ideological strategies emerged from this analysis: Cyber Lads in Search of Masculinity and Virtual Victims in Search of Equality. Though both groups promoted men’s entitlement to social power, Cyber Lads utilized themes of explicit aggression towards and devaluation of women, while Virtual Victims adopted political and social movement rhetoric to address men’s issues.
    [Show full text]
  • Pornography As Work Culture and Cultural Phenomenon
    Pornography as Work Culture and Cultural Phenomenon by Thomas Brorsen Smidt 2011 Supervisors: Þorgerður Einarsdóttir, Gyða Margrét Pétursdóttir and Halldóra Gunnarsdóttir Nýsköpunarsjóður námsmanna Contents Introduction..............................................................................................................2 What is Pornography? 4 What is Pornification? 4 Pornification as Words............................................................................................5 Sexual Humor 5 Creating a Gender-Segregated Working Environment 6 The Boys’ Club: Homosocial Bonding 7 Resistance to Female Influence 8 The Sexual Infantilization of Women 9 But it was just for fun!?! 11 Pornification as Images........................................................................................12 Pilates Balls and Boobs 12 Scrub Sale: What else is being sold? 14 The Fireman Calendar and the Female Employee 16 Gender Differentiation in Pornified Imagery 17 Hegemonic Masculinity 18 Emphasized Femininity 20 “You don’t get to be yourself”: The Violence of Misaddress 21 “You look very much like an underwear model” 22 Pornification as Physical Harassment.................................................................23 “Everybody notices, so nobody does anything about it” 24 “It’s like you want them to get fired, so nobody says anything” 26 What can be done?................................................................................................26 The Limitations of Policy and Punishment 27 Radical Problems, Radical Solutions 28 Confronting
    [Show full text]
  • Engaging Men in Building Gender Equality
    Engaging Men in Building Gender Equality Engaging Men in Building Gender Equality Edited by Michael Flood with Richard Howson Engaging Men in Building Gender Equality Edited by Michael Flood with Richard Howson This book first published 2015 Cambridge Scholars Publishing Lady Stephenson Library, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 2PA, UK British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Copyright © 2015 by Michael Flood, Richard Howson and contributors Cover Image: Amy Hamilton Concept Design: Ben Wadham All rights for this book reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. ISBN (10): 1-4438-7248-2 ISBN (13): 978-1-4438-7248-5 “Engaging Men captures the growing and diverse actions of men around the world who see gender equality as the foundation for building fulfilling, healthy and peaceful families, workplaces and communities. Michael Flood, long a leader in feminist studies of men and masculinity, has compiled a crucial resource that does the important work of bridging academic research on men and gender equality with progressive activism.” —Michael A. Messner, author of Some Men: Feminist Allies and the Movement to End Violence Against Women “Gender-based inequalities, fears and hatreds, and gender-based exclusions and violence, are among the world’s great problems. The way masculinities are made is a fundamental part of these problems; and if they are to be solved, men must play an active role in solving them.
    [Show full text]
  • Is It the End of Men, Or Are Men Still in Power? Yes!
    IS IT THE END OF MEN, OR ARE MEN STILL IN POWER? YES! ∗ MICHAEL KIMMEL INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................... 689 I. ASSUMPTIONS: IS GENDER A ZERO-SUM GAME? ................................ 690 II. ECONOMY: GREATER EQUALITY AND THE GLASS CEILING ................. 691 III. EDUCATION: IS THE “BOY CRISIS” BECAUSE OF GIRLS’ RISE? ........... 693 IV. SEX: THE GENDER POLITICS OF HOOKING UP ..................................... 693 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................... 695 INTRODUCTION You would have to have been napping – as those legions of stay-at-home dads are said to do – to have missed the hoopla over Hanna Rosin’s cover story in the Atlantic1 and the big news about her book.2 Well done! But I think the book has also been alarmingly misread. Rosin has been called both a radical feminist for celebrating men’s demise, and an anti-feminist for suggesting that women have already won and that discrimination is a thing of the past. I think some of this misreading is deliberate – people read with agendas, after all. And I think some part of it has to do with the way Rosin and her marketers have framed the book. After all, the central thesis of the book is contained not in the big, bold headline, “The End of Men” but in the smaller print subtitle, “And the Rise of Women.” I believe that the subtitle of her work is entirely right and that the title is just as surely wrong. I will explain in a moment. But first, a story. I have been teaching gender-studies courses at large public universities for twenty-five years. Being a sociologist and teaching large classes of 300 to 450 students, I often do little surveys in class.
    [Show full text]
  • What Are the Responsibilities of Pro-Feminist Men in the Michael
    What are the responsibilities of pro-feminist men in the Michael Kimmel sexual harassment case? http://www.kractivist.org/what-are-the-responsibilities-of-pro-feminist-men-in-the-michael-kimmel- sexual-harassment-case-vaw/ What are the responsibilities of pro-feminist men in the Michael Kimmel sexual harassment case? Prominent sociologist and pro-feminist, Michael Kimmel, has been accused of unethical conduct. What should the response of academics and activists who identify as pro-feminist or feminist be? http://www.kractivist.org/what-are-the-responsibilities-of-pro-feminist-men-in-the-michael- kimmel-sexual-harassment-case-vaw/ by ROBERT JENSEN The irony of one of the leading pro-feminist male scholars being accused of sexual harassment is painfully obvious. The accusations against sociologist Michael Kimmel have been anonymous so far and investigations are just beginning, but we need not wait to take seriously Kimmel’s own advice to men who find themselves in this position. In an article published earlier this year, “Getting Men to Speak Up,” Kimmel wrote: “We are in a new moment. For many of us, particularly men, it is scary and uncomfortable. Men are feeling vulnerable and afraid of false accusations (or perhaps true ones). They fear that things they did a long time ago will be reevaluated under new rules. They tell me they’re walking on eggshells. Because of this, many men are staying silent rather than taking part in the conversation. And yet inaction isn’t necessarily the right approach; there are important things men can do and say to support the women in their lives.” What are the responsibilities of pro-feminist men in the Michael Kimmel sexual harassment case? http://www.kractivist.org/what-are-the-responsibilities-of-pro-feminist-men-in-the-michael-kimmel- sexual-harassment-case-vaw/ Silence is unacceptable.
    [Show full text]