Challenging myths of masculinity: understanding physical cultures By Lee F. Monaghan and Michael Atkinson. Published by Ashgate, Surrey, UK, 2014. ISBN: 978-1-4094-3500-6; 214 pages (Review)

Abstract

<p>In <i>Challenging Myths of Masculinity</i>, sociologists Lee F. Monaghan and Michael Atkinson seek to test a number of popular and academic myths about men and their bodies. These include the ideas that some men are simply errant in the lack of attention they pay to their health, and that those men invested in body modification practices, such as weightlifting or cosmetic surgery, are ‘over‐concerned’ or feminine. The authors offer up a fascinating and diverse set of empirical studies that challenge such myths: men engaged in weight training and bodybuilding; middle‐aged, middle‐class men who have used cosmetic surgery; nightclub bouncers in Britain's night‐time economy; athletes who starve themselves for competitive success; men who attend weight loss groups; and adolescent boys marginalised in the context of high school physical education.</p>