Mind the gap? Masculinity studies and contemporary gender/sexuality thinking

Abstract

This paper considers the location of Masculinity Studies within the Gender/Sexuality field. Such a location offers possibilities and problems for theorising and coalition, as well as for policy and curriculum development. Importantly, the three major subfields of Gender/Sexuality—Feminist, Sexuality and Masculinity Studies—are not simply commensurable bits that fit together neatly like pieces of a jigsaw. This paper concentrates upon potentially dissonant theoretical directions between the subfields with the aim of clarifying the issues at stake. The implications of this dissonance are of particular significance for the present positioning and future directions of Masculinity Studies.