ABSTRACT

Conservatism is the proper starting place for any systematic discussion of masculinity. As the most influential perspective in both the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, it constitutes the legacy from which other perspectives either borrow ideas or try to distance themselves. This chapter examines the following two forms of conservatism: moral conservatism and biological conservatism. Moral conservatives recognize that there are different feminisms—specifically, radical feminism and liberal feminism. Of course, feminism is not the only source of the social unravelling of masculinity; moral conservatives also blame liberals, big government, big business, utopian planning, and the impact of these factors on the conditions of work. Although there are several varieties of biological conservatism, the chapter focuses on —sociobiology. Both forms of conservatism are essentialist; that is, they attribute intrinsically different natures to men and women. The social roles of masculinity and femininity are considered by conservatives to be manifestations of these intrinsic natures.