From Boys to Men: Social Constructions of Masculinity in Contemporary Society

Representing the work of some of the best-known theorists and researchers in masculinities and feminism in South Africa, this highly original work is comprised of a collection of papers presented at the "From Boys to Men" conference held in January 2005. Based on rich ethnographic studies in South Africa and elsewhere in in the continent, this collection addresses the argument that because South African feminine studies are fraught with problems, boys and men should be included in all research and intervention work studying gender equality and transformation. Chapters examine several issues of the African male psyche, such as varying identifiers of manhood, teenage masculinity, paternal responsibility, and the impact of HIV/AIDS in the region.