This book makes an ideal introduction to the discussion of gender roles and masculinity. In the years since feminism has taken root, the role of men and masculinity has begun to undergo its own redefinition. Michael A Messner provides a sociological framework to understand the responses of men to the changes, challenges and crises in the social organization of gender. He examines not only what certain groups of men say about gender but also what they do. The various social movements engaged with the politics of masculinity are also looked at.