Masculinities in Contemporary American Culture ─ An Intersectional Approach to the Complexities and Challenges of Male Identity

Masculinities in Contemporary American Culture offers readers a comprehensive overview of masculinity studies that includes both theory and applied accounts of masculinities. Keith investigates decades of intersectional and longitudinal research along with a multitude of examples from popular culture to expose students to the many dimensions of contemporary masculinities. Drawing on representations of masculinity in film, TV, and music, issues include violence and the nature/nurture debate, male crime and incarceration rates, "the boy crisis," fraternity life, fatherhood, sports, pornography, pro-feminist and anti-feminist men’s groups, relationships, gay and transgendered masculinities, race, ethnicity, class and an outlook on the future of masculinity. The text draws from a number of disciplines including the biological sciences, anthropology, sociology, psychology, education, communications and cultural studies and is ideal for both undergraduate and graduate courses that take up issues of masculinities.

Thomas Keith received his Ph.D. in philosophy from Claremont Graduate University, Claremont, California, specializing in American philosophy with an emphasis on issues of race, gender, and class. He has published numerous articles on the intersection of gender, media, and popular culture, appeared on TV and radio programs, and produced two best-selling films for Media Education Foundation:Generation M: Misogyny in Media and Culture (2008), and The Bro Code: How Contemporary Culture Creates Sexist Men (2011). In 2015, Keith released his third film for MEF entitledThe Empathy Gap: Masculinity and the Courage to Change, and continues to speak to audiences around the country on issues of masculinity, gender violence, media, and popular culture.