Love and War – How Militarism Shapes Sexuality and Romance

Erscheinungsjahr 2014
ISBN: 978-0-231-16840-3
Verlag: Columbia University Press

Buch, Englisch, 240 Seiten, Format (B × H): 149 mm x 219 mm, Gewicht: 434 g

Ideas of masculinity and femininity become sharply defined in war-reliant societies, resulting in a presumed enmity between men and women. This so-called "battle of the sexes" is intensified by the use of misogyny to encourage men and boys to conform to the demands of masculinity. These are among Tom Digby's fascinating insights shared in Love and War, which describes the making and manipulation of gender in militaristic societies and the sweeping consequences for men and women in their personal, romantic, sexual, and professional lives.

Drawing on cross-cultural comparisons and examples from popular media, including sports culture, the rise of "gonzo" and "bangbus" pornography, and "internet trolls," Digby describes how the hatred of women and the suppression of empathy are used to define masculinity, thereby undermining relations between women and men sometimes even to the extent of violence. Employing diverse philosophical methodologies, he identifies the cultural elements that contribute to heterosexual antagonism, such as an enduring faith in male force to solve problems, the glorification of violent men who suppress caring emotions, the devaluation of men's physical and emotional lives, an imaginary gender binary, male privilege premised on the subordination of women, and the use of misogyny to encourage masculine behavior. Digby tracks the "collateral damage" of this disabling misogyny in the lives of both men and women, but ends on a hopeful note. He ultimately finds the link between war and gender to be dissolving in many societies: war is becoming slowly de-gendered, and gender is becoming slowly de-militarized.

Fachgebiete

• Sozialwissenschaften Soziologie | Soziale Arbeit Soziale Gruppen/Soziale Themen Gender Studies, Geschlechtersoziologie

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Acknowledgments1. Battle of the Sexes: Why Is Heterosexual Love So Hard?2. Let's Make a Deal: The Heterosexual Economy Falls Off a Cliff3. How to Make a Warrior: Misogyny and Emotional Toughness in the Construction of Masculinity4. Keeping the Battle of the Sexes Alive: Faith and Fantasy5. Can Men Rescue Heterosexual Love? More Faith and Fantasy6. Gender Terrorism, Gender Sacrifice: Getting Beyond Zero-Sum Heterosexuality7. The Degendering of War: War Loses Its Sex8. The Demilitarizing of Gender: A Truce in the Battle of the Sexes?NotesIndex

Leseproben

Read the third chapter, "How to Make a Warrior":

Über Autor(innen)

Tom Digby is professor of philosophy at Springfield College in Massachusetts. He has written, lectured, and taught about gender for more than twenty-five years. His multimedia talks about the intersections of love, masculinity, and war have been given at numerous colleges and universities. His previous book is Men Doing Feminism.