Men, Masculinity, Music and Emotions

This book examines how we can reconcile the widely held belief that men are 'less emotional' than women, with a history of emotions in music. A belief that men identify with an ideal of rationality  - understood as the separation of emotion from rational action  - has informed critical studies on men and masculinities. Yet engaging with a wide range of music to stimulate, reflect and express, as well as manage particular types of emotions continues to be the key to music's appeal. Through detailing how judgments about emotions are expressed in relation to music tastes and distastes, this book demonstrates that emotions are as much social, value judgments as embodied, affective responses. It therefore raises the importance of looking at music listening contexts, culture, personal experience and a history of emotions in order to contest the orthodoxy that men's privilege stems from the 'repression' of emotions.