Men and Masculinities in Higher Education: Introduction to a Special Issue

Abstract

Over the past few decades, the scholarly study of men and masculinities has burgeoned into a robust canon. The question of whether one considers this body of scholarship to be a subfield to interdisciplinary Feminist and/or Gender Studies, or as a field unto itself remains a politically complex one. In any case, the subject matter has developed in both breadth and depth, sufficiently enough to generate viewpoints and literature across a broad continuum of epistemological, ontological, methodological and pedagogical domains.Of course, there remains an enormous collection of questions to be answered, or even yet to be asked, in regard to the definitions, deployments and implications of masculinity. Even though most literature now speaks of a plurality of masculinities, even this remains a contested area of study. Similarly, a consensus on the boundaries of and between biological and socially constructed dimensions of masculine identities remains elusive. For example, the presence of so-called x and y chromosomes together in a person no longer proves decisive in determining their sex identity, both because of the diversity of human genetic and physical expressions and because the question is as much a philosophical one as it is biological. Growth in scholarly areas such as Queer and Trans Theory, and in the emergence of intersectionality as an imperative theoretical approach further complicate our understanding of gendered phenomena as they are deployed in male-identified people.As the Guest Editor of this issue of Culture, Society & Masculinities, I confess my belief that these are wonderful problems. It seems to me that the incompleteness of our subject matter combined with the motivation of colleagues to raise and attempt to answer questions is both interesting and generative. Colleagues continue to stun with new insights, poignant and empowering acts of linguistic precision, and a hopefulness that with understanding comes new possibilities for humanity. Perhaps this sounds too hyperbolic or sentimental. To me, such reactions demonstrate my point that the field is now large enough for everyone to find a comfortable corner from which to root their beliefs and approaches to the subject. However, one hopes that everyone will leave that comfortable place so that potential discoveries do not remain hidden in the murkier metaphorical, physical or geographical locations yet to be explored.The purpose of this special issue of Culture, Society & Masculinities is to invite and direct an inquisitive gaze toward the deployment of masculinities within the contexts of higher education. Obviously post-secondary education is itself an enormous area to explore. So, this is a small collection, but I believe it is a very good one, thanks to the diligence, creativity and intellect of our scholarly colleagues who provided articles for this issue.Personally, I have worked in higher education for over 20 years, and I have had the unusual privilege to work at six quite different types of universities in the U.S. and Canada during this time. I would argue that the college or university context creates an intersectional identity for those who spend time within it as a student, faculty or staff member. The ways in which higher education institutions are situated both within and apart from their host communities or civil society more generally, along with collective perceptions about higher education, create a metaphorically demarcated location of and for identity.For instance, popular films depicting collegiate life depict a unique time in the life of a man as he comes of age as an adult. While it is certainly true that there are students who are not 18-22 years of age, and those who commute for one or two courses, there is a dominant narrative that creates a coercive set of expectations for students. Even the colloquial preface, when you get out into the real world... uttered to many a student, defines and reinforces a liminal space in which fantasy and reality are blurred. …