Men and Masculinities Course

Lesson 1 • Origins of Masculinity as a Field

Trace the academic emergence of masculinity studies from feminist and gender theory. Students identify key intellectual turning points that shaped the discipline.

Lesson 2 • Masculinity Across Cultures

Survey cross-cultural variation in masculine norms to challenge universalist assumptions. Students recognize how culture shapes what counts as masculine behavior.

Lesson 3 • Hegemonic Masculinity Concept

Examine Connell's hegemonic masculinity as the field's most influential organizing concept. Students apply it to identify dominant and subordinate masculine forms.

Lesson 4 • Defining Gender and Sex

Distinguish biological sex from socially constructed gender. This distinction anchors all subsequent analysis of masculine identity formation.

Lesson 1 • Contemporary Shifts in Masculine Norms

Map recent transformations in masculine ideals driven by feminism and social change. Students distinguish genuine norm shifts from superficial rebranding.

Lesson 2 • Twentieth-Century Masculine Crises

Identify recurring cultural anxieties about masculinity across the twentieth century. Students explain why masculine identity is periodically framed as under threat.

Lesson 3 • Industrialization and the Self-Made Man

Analyze how industrial capitalism produced the self-reliant, breadwinner masculine ideal. Students connect economic shifts to changing masculine expectations.

Lesson 4 • Masculinity in War and Military Culture

Examine how military institutions codify and reproduce specific masculine norms. Students assess the long-term effects of militarized masculinity on civilian life.

Lesson 1 • Class, Labor, and Masculine Status

Analyze how socioeconomic position structures access to dominant masculine ideals. Students connect labor market changes to working-class masculine identity strain.

Lesson 2 • Race and Masculine Identity

Examine racialized constructions of masculinity and their social consequences. Students analyze how racial stereotypes constrain and shape masculine expression.

Lesson 3 • Intersectionality as Analytical Tool

Introduce intersectionality's origins and its application to masculinity research. Students use it to identify how multiple identities interact within masculine experience.

Lesson 4 • Disability, Age, and Masculine Identity

Explore how disability and aging challenge normative masculine embodiment. Students assess adaptive strategies men use to maintain masculine identity.

Lesson 1 • Masculine Norms and Health Risk

Document how stoicism, risk-taking, and help-avoidance norms elevate men's health risks. Students link specific masculine scripts to preventable health outcomes.

Lesson 2 • Substance Use and Masculine Performance

Analyze alcohol and substance use as masculine performance rituals. Students assess prevention strategies that address underlying masculine norm pressures.

Lesson 3 • Mental Health and Masculine Identity

Examine barriers masculine norms create for men's mental health recognition and treatment. Students identify intervention points that respect masculine identity.

Lesson 4 • Promoting Positive Masculine Health

Identify evidence-based strategies for improving men's health outcomes within masculine frameworks. Students design health messaging that engages rather than alienates men.

Lesson 1 • Intimate Partner Violence and Masculinity

Examine how masculine entitlement and control norms drive intimate partner violence. Students identify coercive control patterns beyond physical assault.

Lesson 2 • Sexual Violence and Masculine Culture

Analyze rape culture, consent norms, and masculine peer dynamics that enable sexual violence. Students evaluate campus and community prevention program designs.

Lesson 3 • Violence Prevention Through Gender Transformation

Evaluate gender-transformative programs that address masculine norms as violence risk factors. Students design program components targeting norm change.

Lesson 4 • Gender and Violence: Core Concepts

Establish the theoretical relationship between gender norms and violent behavior. Students distinguish individual pathology from structural gender-based explanations.

Lesson 1 • Divorce, Custody, and Masculine Identity

Examine how divorce and custody disputes intersect with masculine identity and legal systems. Students analyze men's experiences of family dissolution.

Lesson 2 • Romantic Relationships and Gender Dynamics

Examine power dynamics, communication patterns, and masculine scripts in romantic partnerships. Students assess how gender norms affect relationship quality.

Lesson 3 • Men in Caregiving Roles

Analyze barriers and motivations for men who take on primary caregiving responsibilities. Students identify structural and cultural changes that support male caregivers.

Lesson 4 • Masculine Intimacy and Emotional Labor

Analyze how masculine norms restrict emotional expression and relational intimacy. Students identify the costs of emotional restriction for men and their partners.

Lesson 1 • Digital Media and Online Masculinities

Analyze masculine identity construction in gaming, social media, and online communities. Students evaluate how digital spaces amplify or challenge masculine norms.

Lesson 2 • Advertising and Masculine Consumption

Examine how advertising constructs masculine consumer identities and desires. Students identify how product marketing both reflects and shapes masculine norms.

Lesson 3 • Sports, Media, and Masculine Identity

Analyze how sports media constructs and reinforces dominant masculine norms. Students assess the role of sports fandom in masculine identity formation.

Lesson 4 • Media Representation Frameworks

Introduce content analysis and critical discourse tools for examining masculine media images. Students apply these tools to identify dominant and alternative representations.

Lesson 1 • Sustaining Personal and Collective Change

Integrate personal reflection with collective action strategies for long-term masculine norm change. Students create individual action plans grounded in course frameworks.

Lesson 2 • Educational Interventions for Boys and Men

Evaluate school-based and community programs designed to reshape masculine norms in youth. Students apply program design principles to specific intervention contexts.

Lesson 3 • Positive Masculinity Frameworks

Define positive and equitable masculinity as an affirmative alternative to toxic masculine norms. Students articulate a theoretically grounded vision of healthy manhood.

Lesson 4 • Workplace Gender Equity Strategies

Analyze how masculine workplace cultures create barriers to equity and inclusion. Students design organizational interventions targeting masculine norm change.