A Republic of Men: The American Founders, Gendered Language, and Patriarchal Politics (Open Access Lib and Hc) - Softcover

Kann, Mark E.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0814747140 ISBN 13: 9780814747148

Publisher: NYU Press, 1998

Synopsis

What role did manhood play in early American Politics? In A Republic of Men, Mark E. Kann argues that the American founders aspired to create a "republic of men" but feared that "disorderly men" threatened its birth, health, and longevity. Kann demonstrates how hegemonic norms of manhood–exemplified by "the Family Man," for instance--were deployed as a means of stigmatizing unworthy men, rewarding responsible men with citizenship, and empowering exceptional men with positions of leadership and authority, while excluding women from public life.

Kann suggests that the founders committed themselves in theory to the democratic proposition that all men were created free and equal and could not be governed without their own consent, but that they in no way believed that "all men" could be trusted with equal liberty, equal citizenship, or equal authority. The founders developed a "grammar of manhood" to address some difficult questions about public order. Were America's disorderly men qualified for citizenship? Were they likely to recognize manly leaders, consent to their authority, and defer to their wisdom? A Republic of Men compellingly analyzes the ways in which the founders used a rhetoric of manhood to stabilize American politics.

About this title

Review:

"An important contribution to the sociology of religion as well as to political sociology. With the currency of Linneman's topics and the skill of his coverage, the book should appeal to students and researchers alike."-"Sociology of Religion",

"A fascinating account."-"Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion",

"Succeeds in breaking through stereotypes, dogmas, and especially media representations in a major community-based study that humanizes both sides--creating a richer understanding of the complex social realities that exist on each side of the so-called 'culture wars.' I know of no other work of its kind."-Gilbert Herdt, Professor and Director, Program in Human Sexuality Studies and National Sexuality Resource Center, San Francisco State University

"Perceptions of political climates and the impact of these perceptions on social change are at the heart of Thomas Linneman's fascinating study of Christian conservatives and lesbians/gays. Using surveys, in-depth interviews, and content analyses of newspapers, he uncovers another side of social movements, namely, the role of social contexts in creating narratives about unique worlds that push people to mobilize against oppression. He persuasively describes how Christian conservatives and lesbians/gays in two very different cities organize, perceive, and make sense of their lives and explains how their intersecting views contribute to the development of social activism."-Peter M. Nardi, author of Gay Men's Friendships

About the Author:

Mark E. Kann, Professor Emeritus of Political Science and History, held the USC Associates Chair in Social Science at the University of Southern California. He is the author of Republic of Men (NYU Press, 1998) and Punishment, Prisons, and Patriarchy (NYU Press, 2005).

About this edition

• Publisher: NYU Press
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 0814747140
• ISBN 13: 9780814747148
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 248