Dismembering the Male: Men's Bodies, Britain and the Great War (Picturing History)
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.39 (689 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0948462825 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 336 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 0000-00-00 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
Joanne Bourke concludes that, although the absence of women encouraged male intimacy, differences of class, religion and ethnicity, together with the constant threat of death, acted as barriers to closeness. It has been contended that femininity was "disrupted, constructed and reconstructed" during World War I, but what happened to masculinity? Using the evidence of letters, diaries and oral histories of members of the military and of civilians, this book explores the impact of the Great War on the male body. Bourke argues that military experiences led to a greater sharing of gender identities between men of different classes and ages, and that, ultimately, attempts to reconstruct a new type of masculinity failed as the threat of another war - and with it the sacrifice of a new generation of men - intensified.. Each chapter offers a detailed examination of a different facet of the war and masculinity, comparing attitudes towards those who were dismembered and disabled by the war with attitudes towards those suffering from diseases such as shell-shock
From the Back Cover Some historians contend that femininity was "disrupted, constructed, and reconstructed" during World War I, but what happened to masculinity? Using evidence of letters, diaries and oral histories of members of the military and of civilians, Dismembering the Male explores the impact of the First World War on the male body. Attitudes to the dead male body, which during the war became the property of the state, are also explored. . Joanna Bourke argues convincingly that military experiences led to a greater sharing of gender identities between m
Harrowing and Provocative William Alexander I am a "fan" of Joanna Bourke, and have been since I read her work "An Intimate History of Killing" (although I found the lack of sourcing in that work to be troublesome at points, even though "sourcing" as traditionally understood when the author is working with theoretical constructions is not a straightforward enterprise). And this work is her "magnum opus," a fine example of the new directions and thinking now powering the reviving fie