Preface

*Masculinity Studies - An Interdisciplinary Approach* results from the increasing amount of research on men and masculinities in contemporary times. The book brings together scholarly research on theoretical developments with empirical research on men and masculinities from different parts of the world.

The six chapters of the book employ an interdisciplinary approach to highlight contemporary issues relevant to critical studies of men and masculinities. The topics covered – identity and intersectionality, employment, health and education – contribute significantly to research and understanding of gender and men. A clear message of the book is the need for future studies that follow intersectional and interdisciplinary approaches, and a strong discourse with feminist and queer studies to understand men and varying forms of masculinities that men learn, embrace and perform at global and local levels.

The initial two chapters of the book are theoretical. Chapter 1 provides a brief overview of advances in the field, the most common theoretical approaches and recent theoretical advances in conceptualizing and theorizing men and masculinities. Chapter 2, employing a critical lens, offers a counter-perspective to Cornell's hegemonic masculinity by introducing the "same shit" phenomenon and the concept of self-protective disavowal that indicate the pressures that arise from heteronormative masculine hegemony. It discusses how men are pressurized to perform in order to earn and maintain manhood.

The remaining chapters are empirical in nature, providing insights from different industrialized and developing countries. Chapters 3 and 4 focus on organizational masculinities through qualitative research on Israeli combat soldiers and male nurses in India, respectively. The semiotic-interpretive approach in Chapter 3 utilizes semi-structured interviews with combat soldiers in the Israeli army from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds. The chapter, while underlining the importance of intersectional focus, shows how ethnicity influences the construction of an ethnic cultural context which subsequently influences the construction of ethno-masculine identities. Chapter 4, using the phenomenological approach and thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with nurses in India, reflects on the work experiences of male nurses, and how heteronormative masculine expectations affect their social and work lives. Chapter 5, explores how dominant masculinity influences lifestyle risk factors for non-communicable diseases focusing on adult men.

Chapter 6 follows a more structured approach than previous chapters. Through quantitative surveys, it highlights the importance of including university students' feminine and masculine characteristics for understanding the role of entrepreneurship education on students' entrepreneurial intentions in Belgium.

The book will appeal to students, teachers and researchers in social sciences and humanities, as well as professionals, employers and practitioners.

> **Feyza Bhatti** Faculty of Business, Girne American University, Kyrenia, North Cyprus

> > **1**

**Chapter 1**

Studies

*Feyza Bhatti*

**1. Introduction**

power till 1970s.

egalitarian world.

Introductory Chapter:

summary of central conceptual developments in the area.

**2. Development of masculinity studies**

Contributions to Masculinity

The (critical) studies of men and masculinities is a relatively new academic field that has grown rapidly over the last two decades. The field, which initially fed from sociology, psychology, history and anthropology, considers masculinity as a historical, cultural and social construct and aims to provide insights into the sources and manifestations of masculine power and domination, explore how masculine identities are constructed and performed and elucidate the differences and similarities between man as individuals or as a group around the issues of sex, sexuality, identity, culture and other persistent social issues within a wide range of academic fields. This introductory chapter aims at providing a brief historical context of the development of men or masculinity studies and a

Although men have held a prominent place in academia for a long time, this was an 'absent presence' as they have not been studied as 'gendered beings' until 1970s ([1], p. 1; [2]). While the women's movement gained momentum with the second wave of feminism in 1960s, men did not feel the need to question the legitimacy of their

It was the feminist movements, and the interest arising from women's desire to understand patriarchal structures and masculine domination that steered men towards studying 'the men' in 1970s. Firstly, feminist movements have threatened men's 'privileged' status. With the gains of liberal feminism, and increasing women's visibility in the economic and public life, men and the male identity faced with a crisis situation. As the women's economic participation increased, the struggle of women for gender equality in a patriarchal world was perceived as a success of women over men. Men were 'losing' their good provider role [3, 4], and the traditional gender roles were challenged. The initial studies, therefore, were an effort to regain the lost status of men against women. This was an antifeminist yet non-political movement that argues that men are victimized as a result of the gains of the feminist movements [5]. A group of academics, on the other hand, followed a pro-feminist approach and supported feminism and discontented patriarchy. Instead of defending existing patriarchal structures, they accepted that men must transform in order to have a more

## **Chapter 1**
