This seminar will explore the growing field of masculinity studies in the context of American culture and history. The first part of the semester will be devoted to a critical examination of some theories about masculinity originating from men's studies, feminist theory, psychoanalytical thought, and cultural studies. Topics will include: the masculinity/femininity binary, relations between men, the father-son plot, masculinity in relation to emotion and violence, and the male body. In the subsequent parts, we will trace the development of fictions of masculinity in the US, from the Early Republic to the present.
Requirements: active participation, preparation of critical questions, two short reports, a referat paper.