ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book presents a discussion of different approaches to understanding men and masculinity. It looks at how male bodies have been recruited and disciplined by the state and how, in more recent times, they have become the centrepiece for many men's sense of identity or selfhood. The book explores some of the ideological tensions that surround men's relationships with their own bodies and looks at how they try to manage those contradictions. It considers the impact of parenthood on fathers themselves and also looks at the significance of fatherly input on the health and happiness of both their sons and daughters. The book also focuses on some of the ways that societies encourage men to be violent – particularly within the contexts of war and sport.
