Against my better judgement, I've been pretty much forced to resume my Gender Studies studies at the University of Sydney. If there was one subject, however, that really caught my attention, it was this one - "Cultures of Masculinity". It's the closest to Men's studies I've ever seen, and it's STILL a feminist course. Quote:
According to the blurb: From a traditional focus on femininity in gender studies, it is increasingly clear that masculinity has undergone tremendous change in the last several decades. From a perspective of gender and cultural studies, this unit examines the economic, social and cultural contexts in which masculinity is experienced. We will consider different case studies focusing on the changing representation of masculinity in contemporary culture. These will include aspects of style and consumption, roles within the workplace, and domestic practices.

Because of the prominence of fathers and fathers' issues in this course, I would like to show you what our universities are teaching Australia's young people. Over the next sixteen weeks, I'm going to keep posting to this thread to illustrate what they're teaching us. But, so that you have an idea of what i'm talking about, these are the topics for the lectures this semester:

1) How feminist studies helps men.

2) Homosociety and Power: How males force society to look at itself as male-centric, and why fathers aren't as capable of looking after their kids as their mothers.

3) The notion of "Hegemonic Masculinity"

4) Performing Masculinity, as promoted by Judith Butler

5) Metrosexuality and Crisis Masculinity.

6) Size Matters, the theory of the "phallus" as a symbol of power.

7) Men at work, how masculinity is "performed" in workplaces, and the importance of understanding them as cultural acts

8) Domesticating Masculinity: Men at home. This week will feature debate about the role of a man in the family, and specifically "How, if at all, do fathers feature within the debate about parenting"

9) Military Masculinities. Why the armed forces are typically associated with males.

10) Gay Asian Men.

11) Straight Men, Sex and Pornography.

12) Football Cultures.