Taking Care of Men: Sexual Politics in the Public MindThe idea of the sensitive, post-feminist 'new man' has received great attention. This book sets out to determine how much of the hype is based on fact, and why such images have proliferated in the media. McMahon focuses on the pivotal issue of men's relationship to the vital daily work of caring for people - both physically and emotionally - revealing much confusion about the extent and the interpretation of change. Using statistical data, as well as interview transcripts and media analysis, McMahon draws insightful distinctions between pleasure and performance, assistance and responsibility, gendered personality and gendered jobs, and - underlying all - between consumption and production. Incorporating social theory, psychology and popular culture, this book argues that recent social conversation about men largely avoids the important political point that men's material interests provide a major motivation for resistance to pro-equity change. |
Contents
Having a Wife The Division of Labour and Male Right | 11 |
Producing Men The Labour of Love | 38 |
The Revolving Door | 63 |
Stalled Rhetoric The Optimistic Will | 65 |
Its on the Agenda Optimism over Images | 92 |
The New Father The Masculine New Man | 116 |
The Blocked Door | 151 |
BlockedDoor Theory Misrecognising Resistance | 153 |
The Separated Defensive Male Psychologising Sexual Politics | 179 |
Waiting for the Man | 203 |
207 | |
228 | |
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accounts American argued Australian Australian Women's Weekly baby Barrett cent chapter Chicago Tribune child childcare Chodorow concluded constructed critique culture Delphy & Leonard Delphy and Leonard Dempsey diapers difference discussed division of domestic division of labour domestic labour double burden emotional employed employment equal evidence example explained exploitation Father texts fatherhood feel female feminine Feminism feminist materialism feminist theory Fenstermaker gender relations household husbands ideology involved issues Journal labour market Ladies Home Journal leisure London marriage Marxist masculinity materialist materialist analysis Melbourne Age men's interests men's studies mother nurturance object-relations theory optimistic organisation parenting participation patriarchy perform political practices production psychological question relationship reported responsibility rhetoric role sensitive sexual division sharing significant Similarly social Sociology sphere stress Sunday Age symmetrical family tasks traditional unpaid wife wives woman women women's domestic writers
Popular passages
Page 2 - A wife who will pick up after my children, a wife who will pick up after me. I want a wife who will keep my clothes clean, ironed, mended, replaced when need be, and who will see to it that my personal things are kept in their proper place so that I can find what I need the minute I need it. I want a wife who cooks the meals, a wife who is a good cook. I want a wife who will plan the menus...
Page 2 - I want a wife who will take care of my physical needs. I want a wife who will keep my house clean. A wife who will pick up after me. I want a wife who will keep my clothes clean, ironed, mended, replaced when need be, and who will see to it that my personal things are kept in their proper place so that I can find what I need the minute I need it.