The Psychology of Men in Context

Book excerpt: What does it really mean to say that boys will be boys, men are from Mars, or that contemporary men are in crisis? Does modern psychology support or refute these notions? And how is psychological theory and research about boys and men used in society? The Psychology of Men in Context is an essential introduction to the field which challenges readers to examine psychological research on men, masculinity, and gender, and consider its impact on daily life, through everyday speech, popular media, political rhetoric, and more. The authors offer a range of lenses for studying masculinity, including biology, social learning, social constructionism, feminism, and intersectionality. Demonstrating how these frameworks can be used to understand research on pressing topics such as violence, health, and relationships, the book also considers masculinity in its broader philosophical and historical contexts, equipping readers with the tools needed to connect the psychology of men with other areas of social science. Exercises and prompts to help students relate the research to their own lives are included throughout. Designed for students at undergraduate and graduate level, but suitable for anyone curious about understanding the field from a more critical social scientific perspective, The Psychology of Men in Context is a valuable introduction to the history, current scholarship, and social implications of the psychological study of men and masculinity.