Review: Michael S. Kimmel, Jeff Hearn and R. W. Connell, eds.: Handbook of Studies on Men and Masculinities. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 2005

Abstract

In lieu of an abstract, here is the first paragraph of the review: 

The publication of the book Handbook of Studies on Men and Masculinities marks a watershed moment for the field of critical men's studies. Edited by leading researchers in the field, Michael S. Kimmel, Jeff Hearn and Robert W. Connell, the collection provides a rich overview of developments within critical men's studies, primarily from a social science perspective, establishing the viability of, and productivity within, the field. The book includes key articles by those researchers who have had a meaningful impact on the development of the studies on men and masculinities, as well competent and interesting articles from newer, yet still accomplished, voices. The book provides a solid foundation upon which one could teach an upper level undergraduate or graduate course on critical men's studies, largely from a social science perspective. However, those who come to the study of men and masculinities from the humanities may find a lack of representative articles because, as the editors assert in the introduction, "even though there are important debates from the humanities," "it is the social sciences that have produced the greatest amount of research on men and masculinities" (3). Consequently, the scholarship within the humanities does not find ample representation throughout the book. Certainly, providing what is perceived as "fair" representation across disciplines is a challenge for any book that seeks to provide an overview of such an interdisciplinary topic as the critical studies of men and masculinities.