Critical Studies on Men and Masculinities: Enduring debates, institutionalisation processes, divergences and challenges

Men have historically dominated the written word, in academia, research, science, histories, literature, religion and many further arenas. Often, this domination has taken the shape of men writing about men, and for men, generally implicitly so. In contrast, this chapter focuses on critical studies on men and masculinities (CSMM) and the ‘absence presence’ of men and masculinities within systems and relations of gender power and domination, drawing on the full range of feminist and critical gender and sexuality scholarship. The chapter examines some of the enduring theoretical debates in and around CSMM, focusing on naming and deconstruction; power, domination, hegemony and risk-taking and socially problematic practices. The chapter continues by examining institutionalization processes: the making, reproduction and change in more durable academic activities, structures and interventions of CSMM. These include study groups, research groups, teaching, research and publication. The concluding discussion addresses current divergences and challenges in and around CSMM, in geopolitics; individual and group political and ethical positioning and empirical and theoretical content.