Masculinities, Sexualities and Love

Description

It can be said that societies today know little of how gender, sexuality and love interconnect in dissimilar contexts, and how they are collectively shaped by social structures. Underpinned by the theoretical writings of Michel Foucault, Masculinities, Sexualities and Love examines a range of empirical data, including interviews with gay and bisexual men, to understand the ways in which love is constructed and conceptualized. Clearly written, the book is grounded in personal narratives and intimate stories of love, hurt, pain and heartbreak, including the author’s own experiences; and analysed using theoretical frameworks such as hegemonic masculinity, heteronormativity, and post-structuralism. Furthermore, the reader will also find insightful discourse analysis of popular films, such as Fifty Shades of Grey and The Girl on the Train, to examine the construction of love through film. Forming a timely intervention, Masculinities, Sexualities and Love offers a fresh perspective on the sociology of love and will appeal to students and researchers interested in fields such as Gender and Sexuality Studies, Cultural Studies and Sociology. Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents Acknowledgements Preface Introduction: making love Research questions Unique angles Contributions Researching masculinities, sexualities, and love Theorizing love Structure of the book The men 1. Historical, social, and cultural perspectives of love: love as a global phenomenon Introduction Sociologically historicizing love Contextualizations and (re-)constructions of love: Conclusion 2. Men, masculinities, and love: a contradiction in terms? Introduction The negotiation of masculinities: which masculinity am I now? Hegemonic masculinities Complicit masculinities Subordinate masculinities Marginalized masculinities Protest masculinities Men, masculinities, power, and love Conclusion 3. Sexualities and love: doing sex and making love Introduction The Gay Liberation Movement Sexualities, sex, and love: conceptions and implications Conclusion 4. Reflexivity and love: even sociologists fall in love, right? Introduction Subjectivity and love Contextualizing autoethnography, reflexivity, and positionality A gay Muslim rape victim and the dream of finding love Conclusion 5. What is love? Introduction Communication is key to finding love: uniting souls together Sharing is caring: the sexual liberation of open relationships What makes the significant other significant? The dark side of love Conclusion Note 6. Gender, love, and loss: the ‘happily ever after’? Introduction The discourse of hegemonic masculinity: thrill, excitement and control Legitimating men’s position in society: independence and being successful in the economic realm Love as meaningless: ‘a relationship wouldn’t mean anything to me’ Finding a military husband: doing love or doing masculinity? 7. Doing sex, doing sexuality – or just simply fuckin’? Introduction Acting on bisexuality On being single: not fuckin’ around It’s just sex Coming out ‘My house does get a bit lonely’ Conclusion Notes Conclusion: the futures of masculinities, sexualities, and love References Index