Abstract
The Tough Standard includes a review of prominent research on masculinity with an applied focus on timely social issues such as gun violence, sexual violence, and other forms of gender-based violence that men disproportionately perpetrate. Through a thorough discussion of the research on “traditional masculinity ideology,” Levant and Pryor describe the influence of certain masculine norms on current societal problems (e.g., in the wake of #MeToo). In addition, they outline strategies for moving forward, including the promotion of prevention efforts and four theoretical conceptualizations of masculinities alternate to traditional masculinity ideology.
The authors provide a legitimate and important contextual backdrop regarding the cultural influences of masculine norms and how they operate. The authors make clear links to how these norms may influence acts of violence, particularly within the United States. While they paint a (perhaps necessarily) bleak picture of how masculine norms have typically functioned in United States society, more content could have been devoted to solutions for average men who do not commit acts of violence. The tone of this book is geared toward preaching to the proverbial “choir” of those who already see a problem between violence perpetration and links to problematic conceptions of masculinity. While the tone of the work attempts to bring in a broader readership, the language and concepts lean toward students and professionals who have previous exposure to them. The take-home message provides an empirical backdrop for those in personal and professional contexts who are trying to solve the complex problem of violence disproportionately perpetrated by men.
The specific types of violence the authors highlight are timely with what has received increased media attention recently (e.g., sexual violence, mass shooters). The authors do this in a way that conveys the real and many consequences of adhering to certain specific masculine norms. For example, by highlighting the socially learned links between aggression and masculinity conceptions, Levant and Pryor succeed in explaining just how much gender norms fit into the equation of why men commit the majority of violent acts (despite the paradox that most men are not actually violent).
While the authors pose thoughtful questions that encourage the reflection of men’s gender socialization, as well as case studies applied to mass shooters specifically, overall, the reader is left wanting more discussion of answers to the complex problems posed. Thus, this book effectively leaves readers thinking but perhaps also leaves them to develop their own concrete, actionable solutions. The last chapter and coda provide starting points, though additional attention to smaller scale actions in the everyday lives of men would have been helpful.
One solution Levant and Pryor pose is taking an intersectional approach—highlighting how social identities intersect to create multiple masculinities that have respective contextual implications and consequences. However, when considering a book about privileged identities (e.g., heterosexual, cisgender manhood in the United States), highlighting this as a solution is controversial to a feminist readership because “intersectionality” was obviously developed by and for women of color to describe marginalized identities in relation to experiencing and transcending oppression. An expanded discussion of how the authors use and apply this term to privileged identities could have better clarified some of this controversial application.
Overall, Levant and Pryor underscore the importance of culture and context by analyzing the role of specific masculinity ideologies as related to gender-based violence. The authors ultimately call to deconstruct traditional masculinity ideology and effectively stress the need for men’s active involvement in this process. The Tough Standard provides an important baseline for illuminating how men’s perpetration of violence is influenced by masculine norms and offers new ways of conceptualizing masculinities to be more inclusive and progressive.
