Louise Newman
Department of History, CLAS
History of Masculinities: A Comparative Historical Perspective
Over the last twenty years, there has been a burgeoning of scholarship on the history of masculinity that has raised important questions concerning how different nations have organized social relations pertaining to boyhood, men's roles in the family and society, work, leisure, male sexuality and so forth. This scholarship has also brought about a reconsideration of international phenomena because of the ways that the study of masculinity has opened up new perspectives on slavery, imperialism, settler-native relations; war, nation-building and citizenship. I would create a course to encourage students to think broadly about the different ways that masculinity has been constructed across time and place: how eastern notions of masculinity differ from western notions; how specific nations invoke ideals of masculinity to wage war on others or to foster support for socialistic programs (or not); and so forth. For example, students could be asked to reflect on how Britain's efforts to colonize Southeast Asia, Africa, and Australia were informed by particular beliefs about masculinity. Or, students could be asked to think about how contact between Iran and Western Europe in the nineteenth century affected each of these regions' subsequent understandings of masculinity.
I intend to select three or four broad themes from this scholarship to explore in separate units. Possible themes could include:
- Politics, Nation-Building, and Citizenship
- Family and Sexuality
- Work and Leisure
- Bodies and Sports
Students will be encouraged to integrate the knowledge they have gained from taking courses in the various geographical sections of the history department, developing in them an appreciation for comparative history.