Inclusive Masculinity: The Changing Nature of Masculinities

by Eric Anderson

Drawing on qualitative studies of teamsport athletes and fraternity members, this book describes the rapidly changing world of masculinities among men in both the United States and Great Britain. As cultural homophobia decreases, university-aged men are influenced to construct a softer version of masculinity – one that is not predicated in homophobia. Inclusive Masculinity shows that today's youth express decreased sexism, racism and masculine bullying. As Eric Anderson demonstrates, men who value inclusive masculinities are also shown to be more likely to bond in emotional relationships with other men and to embrace a variety of behaviors once coded as feminine, including certain same-sex sexual behaviors. Now available in paperback, this groundbreaking analysis of masculinity and young men will be of interest to students and faculty members within Sociology, Gender Studies, and Sport Studies.

208 pages, Paperback

First published June 2, 2009

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Eric Anderson is Professor of Sport, Masculinities and Sexualities at the University of Winchester, UK. He holds four degrees, has published 17 books, over 60 peer-reviewed articles, and is regularly featured in international television, print, and digital media. Professor Anderson is recognized for research excellence by the British Academy of Social Sciences and is a fellow of the International Academy of Sex Research. His work shows a decline in cultural homohysteria and promotes inclusive attitudes toward openly gay, lesbian and bisexual athletes as well as a softening of heterosexual masculinities.

Reviews

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was not what I expected. I had expected the author to give an account of some substantive characteristics of males that display inclusive masculinities. However, that's not really what this book was about. The main point of this book is that fewer college educated white men display attitudes of homophobia and homohysteria. He refers to this as a softer form of masculinity--which, I guess, it is. However, being less aggressively masculine seems like simply a change in degree, not kind.
I was hoping for a discussion of a new way of being a heterosexual male human. That's not what's going on here though.

[Jimmy J. Crantz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I give this book four stars more for the possibilities I think might lie in the concept of inclusive masculinity rather than Anderson's style of writing. I sometimes feel like the author is too surprised by what he sees to write about it in a clear way. I understand the feeling, working as a teacher I'm also surprised by this new way young men relate to each other. At the same time he also, just like McCormack, has a way of making theoretical resoning very accessible to the reader. The book gives a good introduction to sport sociology (at least for me), and explains how it relates to homophobia and masculinity.

[Oscar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although it’s been an insightful read, I think I disagree to the most part of his theorization. I understand his conclusion that because SOME men are now embracing traditionally feminine traits and IN VERY SPECIFIC CONTEXTS (aka. white left-wing colleges) aren't aggressive towards homosexuals, it is because “inclusive masculinity” is dominating. I’m not sure about that, especially drawing upon Pascoe & Bridges’ conceptualization of “hybrid masculinities”, because to what extent are these so-called “inclusive”men just appropriating feminized attitudes and gay-like performances just as a tool to maintain themselves in dominance and, since it has been appealing in the feminist movement (see also woke context) have effectively become hegemonic in those arenas?