The Image of Man: The Creation of Modern MasculinityWhat does it mean to be a man? What does it mean to be manly? How has our notion of masculinity changed over the years? In this book, noted historian George L. Mosse provides the first historical account of the masculine stereotype in modern Western culture, tracing the evolution of the idea of manliness to reveal how it came to embody physical beauty, courage, moral restraint, and a strong will. This stereotype, he finds, originated in the tumultuous changes of the eighteenth century, as Europe's dominant aristocrats grudgingly yielded to the rise of the professional, bureaucratic, and commercial middle classes. Mosse reveals how the new bourgeoisie, faced with a bewildering, rapidly industrialized world, latched onto the knightly ideal of chivalry. He also shows how the rise of universal conscription created a "soldierly man" as an ideal type. In bringing his examination up to the present, Mosse studies the key historical roles of the so-called "fairer sex" (women) and "unmanly men" (Jews and homosexuals) in defining and maintaining the male stereotype, and considers the possible erosion of that stereotype in our own time. |
Contents
| 3 | |
2 SETTING THE STANDARD | 17 |
3 GETTING THERE | 40 |
4 THE COUNTERTYPE | 56 |
THE DECADENCE | 77 |
6 WARRIORS AND SOCIALISTS | 107 |
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androgyne Arno Breker Aryan became Berlin bodily boys Breker challenge chivalry co-opted Communist comportment construction of modern countertype courage culinity decadence degeneration duel enemies English Europe example fascist feminine fin de siècle France French Revolution Friedrich Friedrich Ludwig Jahn gender German Greek Guts Muth gymnastics heroes homosexuals honor human Ibid ideal of beauty ideal of masculinity important Italian Italian fascism Jacques-Louis David Jahn Jean Lorrain Jewish Jews Johann Magnus Hirschfeld male body male stereotype manhood manly manly beauty manly ideal masculine ideal masculine stereotype middle-class military modern masculinity modern society Moreover movement Mussolini Nataly Barney National Socialism Nazi nineteenth century normative masculinity normative society nude Oswald Bumke Paris physical exercise played political popular role sculpture seemed sexes sexual so-called socialist spirit sport strength supposed symbol tion traditional true manliness unmanly virile warrior Wilhelm von Humboldt willpower Winckelmann woman women World wrote youth culture
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