For The Love of Men

    Each student will choose a book from the list provided below to read during the semester. Each book deals with an aspect of Gender, Sexuality and Health Disparities. Some also look at intersectionalities of gender and/or sexuality and/or race, class, and health. At the end of the semester, each student will hand in a written report that covers the following: A summary of the book (enough so that I know you have read the whole book, not skimmed it or read a summary from the internet or elsewhere) An analysis of the book that identifies what the author’s thesis is regarding gender and/or sexuality and health disparities. The student will incorporate both class content and assigned readings from the semester to tie the book to the themes of this course. Book for the review: For the Love of Men: From Toxic to a More Mindful Masculinity by Liz Plank (nonfiction) Today, traditional masculinity is both rewarded and sanctioned. Men grow up being told that boys don’t cry and dolls are for girls. They learn they must hide their feelings and anxieties, that their masculinity must constantly be proven. They must be the breadwinners. They must be the romantic pursuers. This hasn’t been good for the culture at large: 99% of school shooters are male; men in fraternities are 300% more likely to rape; a woman serving in uniform has a higher likelihood of being assaulted by a fellow soldier than to be killed by enemy fire. In For the Love of Men, author Liz Plank offers a smart, insightful, and deeply researched guide for what we're all going to do about toxic masculinity. For the Love of Men will lead the conversation on men's issues in a society where so much is changing but gender roles have remained strangely stagnant.