Heroes, Metanarratives, and the Paradox of Masculinity in Contemporary Western Culture
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12412903 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Kevin Alexander Boon (Penn State University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2005 |
| Volume | 13 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 301-312 |
| Publication date | 2005-06-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The Journal of Men s Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1060-8265 • E-ISSN: 1933-0251 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.3149/jms.1303.301 |
| OpenAlex | W2093217468 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 16 |
| References cited | 16 |
The mythic figuration of the hero thrives in contemporary American culture, functioning as both an unattainable ideal against which contemporary masculinity is measured and a mythic means of assuring survival. This figuration places contemporary men in a double bind, or paradox, which offers two alternatives: (1) reject traditional definitions of masculine behavior and risk being labeled by culture as less than a man, or (2) embrace the testosterone-based behaviors that define the hero figure and pursue the impossible acquisition of superhuman qualities, a goal that by its nature must result in failure
Masculinity · Political science · Sociology · Gender Roles and Identity Studies · Gender Studies · Leadership, Courage, and Heroism Studies · Media, Gender, and Advertising · Philosophy
Are you man enough? A Case study of the represented and experienced masculinity in the South African Police Service
Counseling With Male Clients
Perceptions of Police as Heroes and Support for Law Enforcement
Military metaphors and pandemic propaganda
Morality, Complexity, Experts, and Systems of Authority in House, M. D., or “My Big Brain is My Superpower”
Exploring Sociocultural Borderlands
Men of Steel? Rorschach, Theweleit, and Watchmen 's Deconstructed Masculinity
Indonesian women leaders navigating hegemonic femininity
Petar Klepac/Peter Klepec/Pitr Kljepc
Advertising Phuket’s Nightlife on the Internet
No More Heroes
Black Macho and the Myth of the Superwoman Redux
Barriers to leadership development
Men’s health-risk and protective behaviors
What do we do now? Examining civilian masculinity/ies in contemporary liberal civil-military relations
Questing for meaningfulness through narrative identity work
Beyond God the Father
The hearts of men
Emerson's Theory of Human Greatness
Personal heroes, religion, and transcendental metanarratives
Terrorism in Context
The Hearts of Men. American Dreams and the Flight from Commitment
Hero Worship in America
Heroes, Villains and Fools, as Agents of Social Control
The Idiocy of American Studies
Perverse Effects of Social Support
Masculinity, Femininity, and Androgyny
The Potential Relevances of Biology to Social Inquiry
Toward a new sociology of masculinity
| Unique citing works | 16 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,76 |
| Citation span | 2005 - 2026 (22) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 16 |