Masculinity Studies

One of the significant contributions of feminist theory is the critical examination of masculinity and heterosexual oppression. For example, lesbian and radical feminists examine women's subordination to men in a heterosexual hierarchy and highlight the problem of male domination over women in challenging the institution of heterosexuality.¹ From this perspective, male domination over women is the fundamental problem and the fundamental injustice within the system of heterosexuality, and a particular focus is placed on men as being core arbiters of this structure. Recent work in masculinity studies has criticized this essentialist thinking, arguing that masculinity takes on a multiplicity of forms and arises out of social interaction, not biology, and focuses on the role of marginalized groups in perpetuating oppression.² This focus moves the discussion of masculinity and heterosexuality from unspoken and accepted assumptions to the social arena, where the gender order is fluid, and where masculinity is,...