Masculinity in Transition

Locating the roots of toxic masculinity and finding its displacement in unruly culture Masculinity in Transition analyzes shifting relationships to masculinity in canonical works of twentieth-century literature and film, as well as in twenty-first-century media, performance, and transgender poetics. Focusing on “toxic masculinity,” which has assumed new valence since 2016, K. Allison Hammer traces its roots to a complex set of ideologies embedded in the histories of settler colonialism, racial capitalism, and political fraternity, and finds that while toxic strains of masculinity are mainly associated with straight, white men, trans and queer masculinities can be implicated in these systems of power. Hammer argues, however, that these malignant forms of masculinity are not fixed and can be displaced by “unruly alliances”—texts and relationships that reject the nationalisms and gender politics of white male hegemony and perform an urgently needed reimagining of what it means to be masculine. Locating these unruly alliances in the writings, performances, and films of butch lesbians, gay men, cisgender femmes, and trans and nonbinary individuals, Masculinity in Transition works through an archive of works of performance art, trans poetics, Western films and streaming media, global creative responses to HIV/AIDS, and working-class and “white trash” fictions about labor and unionization. Masculinity in Transition moves the study of masculinity away from an overriding preoccupation with cisnormativity, whiteness, and heteronormativity, and toward a wider and more generative range of embodiments, identifications, and ideologies. Hammer’s bold rethinking of masculinity and its potentially toxic effects lays bare the underlying fragility of normative masculinity. Retail e-book files for this title are screen-reader friendly with images accompanied by short alt text and/or extended descriptions.

Locating the roots of toxic masculinity and finding itsdisplacement in unruly culture

Masculinity in Transition analyzes shiftingrelationships to masculinity in canonical works oftwentieth-century literature and film, as well as intwenty-first-century media, performance, and transgender poetics.Focusing on "toxic masculinity," which has assumed new valencesince 2016, K. Allison Hammer traces its roots to a complex set ofideologies embedded in the histories of settler colonialism, racialcapitalism, and political fraternity, and finds that while toxicstrains of masculinity are mainly associated with straight, whitemen, trans and queer masculinities can be implicated in thesesystems of power.

Hammer argues, however, that these malignant forms ofmasculinity are not fixed and can be displaced by "unrulyalliances"-texts and relationships that reject the nationalisms andgender politics of white male hegemony and perform an urgentlyneeded reimagining of what it means to be masculine. Locating theseunruly alliances in the writings, performances, and films of butchlesbians, gay men, cisgender femmes, and trans and nonbinaryindividuals, Masculinity in Transition works through anarchive of works of performance art, trans poetics, Western filmsand streaming media, global creative responses to HIV/AIDS, andworking-class and "white trash" fictions about labor andunionization.

Masculinity in Transition moves the study ofmasculinity away from an overriding preoccupation withcisnormativity, whiteness, and heteronormativity, and toward awider and more generative range of embodiments, identifications,and ideologies. Hammer's bold rethinking of masculinity and itspotentially toxic effects lays bare the underlying fragility ofnormative masculinity.

Retail e-book files for this title are screen-readerfriendly with images accompanied by short alt text and/or extendeddescriptions.

"Masculinity in Transition traces the roots of "toxic masculinity," showing that while toxic strains of masculinity are mainly associated with straight, white men, trans* and queer masculinities often reiterate similar patterns of behavior. Arguing that these malignant forms of masculinity can be displaced, K. Allison Hammer's bold rethinking lays bare the underlying fragility of normative masculinity"-- Provided by publisher