Fictions of Masculinity                                                                                                           Prof. Milette Shamir

MA Seminar                                                                                                                      mshamir@post.tau.ac.il

This seminar will explore the growing field of masculinity studies in the context of American culture and

history. The first part of the semester will be devoted to a critical examination of some theories about

masculinity originating from men's studies, feminist theory, psychoanalytical thought, and cultural studies.

Topics will include: the masculinity/femininity binary, relations between men, the father-son plot, masculinity

in relation to emotion and violence, and the male body. In the subsequent parts, we will trace the development

of fictions of masculinity in the US, from the Early Republic to the present.

Requirements: Short written assignments, presentations, final paper.