Fall 2007

ANT 391 • Cultural Constructions of Masculinity

Course Description

The course will focus on the sociological and anthropological study of masculinity. The first few weeks' readings will provide a general introduction to recent theoretical and empirical work, mostly by sociologists. Two books will demonstrate historical approaches, one on late medieval, the other on early modern and nineteenth century understandings of masculinity. The rest of the readings will consist of more focused ethnographies, including Herzfeld's Poetics of Manhood, two acclaimed studies of gay masculinity, as well as work on Nicaragua, Japan, Islamic masculinities, and South Asia, among others.

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