Bringing together the leading scholars, social and applied scientists, poets, activists, and cultural critics, 'Constructing Masculinity' questions the very standards by which masculinity is defined, and considers the ways in which men and women can transcend these stereotypes. The authors explore representations of masculinity and maleness in the media and the arts, consider masculinity in relationship to science and law, and finally ask how an informed and activist notion of masculinity can contribute to political debates about identity and power.

This anthology takes us beyond the status of masculinity itself, questioning society's and the media's normative concepts of the masculine, and considering the extent to which men and women can transcend these stereotypes and prescriptions.