Men and Feminism

Men And Feminism

Since the 19th century, men have taken part in significant cultural and political responses to feminism within each "wave" of the movement. For example, feminists and abolitionists, the latter working to end the slave trade, found common ground as they worked to promote the rights of women and slaves respectively.

One taxonomy has been offered by the American sociologist Michael Kimmel, who in the 1990s classified men's responses as falling into antifeminist, masculist/masculinist, or pro-feminist categories, each largely differing in their view of masculinity. Kimmel himself belongs to his profeminist category.

The masculist position advocates men's rights, and is controversially claimed to be the male counterpart to feminism, seeking to redress social issues facing men and boys. It also refers to antifeminism and advocacy of male superiority and dominance. One masculinist position, associated with the Mythopoetic movement and author Robert Bly, criticizes "emasculation of men by feminism," and argues that there are intrinsic differences between the sexes.