Review of: Sylka Scholz: Männlichkeitssoziologie. Münster: Verlag Westfälisches Dampfboot 2012.

Abstract

Sylka Scholz brings together various strands of her previous research on men and masculinity and is thus able to offer a good overview. She formulates a new theoretical frame for this much discussed field of research and examines its empirical validity in the fields of job market, military, and politics. She manages to show that, while the concept of masculinity is certainly becoming fragile, neither a collapse of male domination nor an alternative to the present hegemonic masculinity are looming. This book is a good introduction to the field of research, which also highlights several areas that need further research. The combination of the approaches of Connell and Bourdieu is, in theory, helpful for the development of the field – in parts however, it would have been good to theorize more already in this book.