ABSTRACT
The body was traditionally deemed to be the site of sin, temptation and transgression. Within an enlightenment vision of modernity there was a critical reorganization of the relationships between men's minds and men's bodies. Men seek to prove their male identities and place their heterosexuality beyond question, in the sexist ways they learn to talk of women from a very early age. At some level men can feel that they do not have emotions, they only have thoughts. As men learn to exercise self-control in relation to their bodies, it can be difficult to learn that the body carries its own memories. Often men learn to speak in the impersonal and universal language of reason. Men within different masculinities are constantly testing themselves against the limits of their bodies. Men can be left feeling unsure about their male identities, especially within postmodern cultures where the traditional social supports for masculinity have largely disappeared with the decline of traditional industries.
