Marginalization Myths and the Complexity of “Men”

Abstract

This article considers conversations about men and masculinity being pursued in the English-speaking Caribbean and the Republic of Ireland. The author engages structural-materialist analysis to evaluate claims circulating in both contexts that suggest men are being marginalized because of their sex-gender and employs cultural analysis to examine the representation of men’s experiences in dominant discursive frameworks. Through reference to two programs that have attempted responses that address the alleged “crisis of masculinity”—Ireland’s Exploring Masculinities program and Saint Lucia’s Men’s Resource Centre in Saint Lucia—the author identifies some of the implications of a limited analysis and also discusses some of the ways in which these programs provide potential opportunities for a more critical conversation about the situation of men and the production of masculinities.

Keywords

marginalization myths crisis of masculinity Ireland Caribbean

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