The Palgrave Handbook of African Men and Masculinities

This handbook provides a comprehensive, interdisciplinary overview of key theoretical and analytical approaches, topics and debates in contemporary scholarship on African masculinities. Refusing to privilege Western theoretical constructs (but remaining in dialogue with them), contributors explore the contestations around and diversities within men, masculinities and sexualities in Africa; investigate individual and collective practices of masculinity; and interrogate the social construction of masculinities.

Bringing together insights from scholars across gender studies, sociology, anthropology, philosophy, history, literature and religion, this book demonstrates how recognizing and upholding the integrity of African phenomena, locating and reflecting on men and masculinities in varied African contexts and drawing new theoretical frameworks all combine to take the discourse on men and masculinities in Africa forward. Chapters examine a range of issues within the context ofmasculinities, including embodiment, sport, violence, militarism, spirituality, gender roles, fatherhood, homosexuality, health and work.

This handbook will be valuable reading for scholars, researchers, and policymakers in Masculinity Studies, and more broadly Gender Studies, as well as Africana Studies.

Problematizes the idea of a homogenous African masculinity Develops studies on men and masculinities from a different power base than studies from the Global North Presents a positive picture of African masculinities while not overlooking the persistent problems

Auteur

Ezra Chitando is Professor of History and Phenomenology of Religion at the University of Zimbabwe and has published widely on religion, gender, masculinities, and sexualities. He is co-editor/co-author of over 50 books including Christianity and Controversies Over Homosexuality in Africa; Public Religion and The Politics of Homosexuality in Africa; and Redemptive Masculinities: Men, HIV and Religion. Chitando has completed research fellowships in Germany, Sweden, Scotland, and the US.

Obert Bernard Mlambo is Associate Professor in the Department of Religious Studies, Classics and Philosophy at the University of Zimbabwe, and is currently a Visiting Scholar at the Global South Studies Centre in the University of Cologne, Germany. He is also a former recipient of the Fondation Hardt´s Doctoral Researchers Fellowship (Geneva, Switzerland, 2013) and the Nordic Africa Institute's Guest Scholar Fellowship (Uppsala, Sweden, 2016). Mlambo has taken up Visiting Research Fellowships and Professorships in the UK, Germany, South Africa and has presented conference papers in many other countries.

Sakhumzi Mfecane is Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Western Cape, South Africa who has published widely on African masculinities, men's health and medical anthropology. His research has appeared in a number of international, peer-reviewed journals including South African Review of Sociology, Social Dynamics, International Journal of Men's Health, Culture, Health and Sexuality, Anthropology Southern Africa, and African Journal of AIDS Research.

Kopano Ratele is Professor of Psychology at Stellenbosch University, South Africa and a nationally and internationally acclaimed scholar in masculinity studies and decolonial Africa(n)-centring thought. His published works include From Boys to Men: Social Constructions of Masculinity in Contemporary Society (2008), There Was This Goat: Investigating the Truth Commission Testimony of Notrose Nobomvu Konile (2009), Liberating Masculinities (2016), Engaging Youth in Activism, Research and Pedagogical Praxis: Transnational and Intersectional Perspectives on Gender, Sex, and Race (2018), The World Looks Like This From Here: Thoughts on African Psychology (2019), and Why Men Hurt Women and Other Reflections on Love, Violence and Masculinity (2022).

Contenu
Part I. African Masculinities: Theoretical Explorations.- 1: Introduction: Men and Masculinities in Africa.- 2: African Masculinities and the Question of the Men/Non-Men.- 3: Hegemonic Masculinity and African Studies of Men and Masculinities.- 4: Men and Masculinity studies in Eastern Africa: Towards Endogenous Theoretical Perspectives.- 5: 'Emergent Masculinities' in Africa: The Case of Sierra Leone.- 6: Man-Africanism, African Women and the Field of Masculinities: Some Reflections.- 7: Men in Women's Circles: Conceding Epistemological Privilege?- 8: The Transformative Masculinities Agenda in Africa: Confessions of an Activist.- Part II: African Masculinities and Embodiment .- 9: Emerging alternative young black masculinities in South Africa.- 10: Living as a Blind Man in Zambia.- 11: Masculine Identities and Circumcision.- 12: Men and Football in Africa.- 13: Masculinities and Racial Terms of Belonging in Post-Colonial Tunis.- Part III: African Masculinities in the Arts .- 14: Making Men: The Portrayal of Masculinity in Nigerian Children's Literature.-15: Masculinity, Militarism and Deconstruction of National Identity in Purple Hibiscus .- 16: The Problem of 'Redemptive Masculinity' in Purple Hibiscus .- 17: Two Sides of a Coin? Rethinking the Ideology of Male Gender Violence Within the Prism of Two Nigerian Plays.- 18: The Nigerian Big Man Figure in I Do Not Come to You By Chance .- 19: Queer Masculinities in North African Literature.- Part IV: African Masculinities and Religiosity : New Testament Masculinities in African Christianity .- 20: Religious Men in Contemporary Times in Zambia: Representations of Pentecostal Pastors in Public Media.- 20: African Pentecostal spiritual men in the United Kingdom.- 22: Masculinities, marriage and ministry: The Construction of 'Umfundisi' in the Methodist Church of Southern Africa.- 23: Islam and Masculinities in Nigeria.- 24: Perceptions of masculinity among pious members of Egypt's Episcopal community.- Part V: African Masculinities and Femininities .- 25: The Conception of Masculinity between Constancy and Change.- 26: Female masculinity and breadwinner femininity in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania.- 28: Understanding Zimbabwean men's involvement in abortion.- 28: Changing Masculinities and Femininities for Zimbabwe's Development: A Philosophical Examination.- 29: Interrogating African Communitarianism from a Feminist Perspective.- 30: Men in the Academy: Male Teachers as Mentors in Liberia.- Part VI: African Masculinities and Violence .- 31: Military Masculinities and Violence in Africa.- 32: Liberation War Veterans and Masculinity in Zimbabwe.- 33: Men in Politics in Lesotho and Political Masculinity.- 34: At the Intersection of Prisons, Masculinities and Violence: Patterns of Masculinities within Correctional Service Settings in Lesotho.- 35: Masculinity, Gender and Identity in the Nigerian Military.- 36: Of violence, paternalistic care and instrumental kinship.- 37: Masculinity and Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Same-Sex Relationships in Kenya.- Part VII: African Masculinities and Queer Identities .- 38: Dress Codes as Constructs of Male Masculinities in Northern Ghana.- 39: Perilous Dressing: The Fashion Politics of Nigeria's Male Barbie.- 40: Men who love other men in Malawi.- 41: Gay Men's Relationships with their Mothers.- 42: Changing Religious Attitudes towards Gay Men in Southern Africa.- 43: Gossip, marginality, and movement among gay men in Tanzania.- Part VIII: African Masculinities and Health .- 44: Masculinity and Suicide.- 45: Adolescent Boys, Young Men and Mental Health in Southern Africa.- 46: Men and Health in Africa.- 47: The role of education in shaping healthy adolescent masculinities in ESA region.- 48: Exploring Fitness Culture and Food.- 49: Supplementation through the Lenses of Hyper-Masculinity.- Part IX: African Masculinities, Family and Work .-…