In Search of Manhood

American men began an earnest search for the meaning of manhood in the latter half of the 20th century and enlisted in such groups as Promise Keepers, Million Man March, National Congress of Men, and fathers’ rights groups. This study chronicles those movements, as well as the more visible male activism of today in such groups as Proud Boys, Three Percenters, and Oath Keepers. The book explores the misogyny and militancy embodied in these new quests for manhood.
The first section covers pop culture influences on conceptions of masculinity and moves from celebrity iconography to the institutional and organizational influences that men have relied on in the effort to make themselves masculine. The second section describes masculinity and men’s movements in the 20th century, and the third section covers the 21st. The final chapters analyze the contrast between the more thoughtful men’s movements before the turn of the century and the more militant and physical movements after 2000, posing and addressing critical questions about the relationship between prevailing ideals of masculinity and events like the January 6th insurrection.

Don H. Corrigan is the editor emeritus for the Webster-Kirkwood Times weekly newspapers in St. Louis, where he has written on the outdoors and environment for four decades. He is a professor emeritus of Webster University, where he directed student studies for the school’s Outdoor/Environmental Journalism Certificate. He lives in St. Louis.

Don H. Corrigan
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 245
Bibliographic Info: 30 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2024
pISBN: 978-1-4766-9560-0
eISBN: 978-1-4766-5360-0
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments ix

Preface: Masculinity Studies and the Manhood Quest 1

Introduction: Masculinity as a Political Platform 5

Section I—Machismo on the Political Front

 1. Pop Culture Masculinity and Political Messaging 13

 2. Owning the Libs with Pee-wee and Mr. Rogers 26

 3. Outrage, Populism, and Making Men Great Again! 38

 4. Manhood: Masculine Virtues America Needs? 49

 5. The Conservative Right Comes Late to Masculinity Theory 60

Section II—Manhood in a Previous Century

 6. Into the Wild: A Mythopoetic Manifesto 77

 7. Marchers Take a Vow: Million Man Manifesto 88

 8. Making Promises: Promise Keepers Manifesto 99

 9. Men’s Liberation and Fathers’ Rights Groups 112

Section III—Manhood in the New Century

10. Proud Boys: Standing Back, Standing By 127

11. Oath Keepers: “Not on our watch!” 139

12. “­Deplore-a-Balls” and Accomplices 153

Section IV—Toward a New Definition of Manhood

13. Manhood: Old Icons Under Siege 171

14. Manly Men in Search of Manhood 184

Postscript: To Be, or Not to Be—a “Girly Man” 201

Chapter Notes 211

Bibliography 225

Index 235