Sexualised Governmentalities: Critical Perspectives on Homosexism
This book critically examines the concept of sexualised governmentalities, a framework for understanding the evolving discourse and power dynamics surrounding discrimination on the basis of sexual practices. Central to this exploration is the shift from traditional heteronormative perspectives to a more complex hetero/homonormative context, where the structure and organisation of sexual relationships gain prominence over the gender or sexual orientation of the participants. A key focus of the book is the concept of homosexism within the realm of gay masculinity studies. The author discusses homosexism as a form of discrimination experienced by gay men from other gay men, highlighting the influence of heteronormative patriarchal society on these interactions. It calls for a broader recognition and acceptance of diverse sexual expressions and challenges the reader to re-evaluate the societal norms around masculinity and sexual behaviour. Sexualised Governmentalities is an important contribution to the discourse on sexual identity and practice, offering insights for a more inclusive and empathetic understanding of sexual diversity.
Contemporary Irish Masculinities: Male Homosociality in Sally Rooney's Novels
By examining portrayals of male homosociality in Sally Rooney's novels, the book documents how male relationships are formed, challenged, and often disavowed and the profound negative effects this can have for the wellbeing of men. The book also highlights the importance of the sociocultural context within which male relationships are formed and supports that the potential for healthy and meaningful relationships between men depends on how they are brought up to view themselves as men and their role in the society they live in. That is, despite the many examples whereby space for authentic and meaningful male homosociality is limited and well concealed, the book also offers a more optimistic potential for men's relationships by illustrating the significance of broader understandings of masculinity, unfettered by homophobia and misogyny, in allowing for male homosociality with the potential of emancipating men from heteropatriarchal norms which dictate their behaviour toward themselves and others.