Abstract：After more than half a century’s academic development, men’s studies, which originated from the 1970s, have become a mature academic field. As a major branch of gender studies, men’s studies have simultaneously revised the imbalance of gender studies which have become synonymous with women’s studies, and it also makes outstanding contributions to the development of human gender civilization. In the feminist effort to problematize gender, Western men’s studies have formed two theoretical streams with “masculinity” and “manliness” as keywords. Raewyn W. Connell’s theory of masculinity effectively criticizes the power relationship in the patriarchal order, showing the theoretical limitation of misjudgment on power in the post-structuralism framework of gender politics as well. Faced with this weakness, Harvery C. Mansfield’s theory of manliness advocates men’s virtues to find a solution to gender issues, thus recovering the historical value of men who have been excessively attacked. Considering the validity and blindness of the masculinity theory and manliness theory, Chinese scholars critically accept these two theories and dialectically reflect on them.Taking Western theories of men’s studies as reference, Chinese men’s studies pay effort to deconstruct men’s authority in patriarchal order and gender politics, while attempting to rethink the emotional dimension and aesthetic factors in the gender system, and then reassert the positive significance of manliness. Specifically speaking, men’s studies in the first phase are mainly in the field of psychology, focusing on the topics of biological sexuality, gender roles, and gender psychology. Meanwhile, researchers also attempt to tackle the social issues of gender hegemony when describing gender temperament, demonstrating the transition of men’s studies from a descriptive stage to an interpretive stage. Men’s studies in the second phase gradually jump out of the psychological paradigm of gender discrepancy study. Researchers in this stage mainly introduce the sociologist Connell’s theory of masculinity, regarding masculinity as the symbol of culture and the symptom of power, showing a shift of men’s studies from psychology to sociology from the perspective of cultural studies. Men’s studies in the third phase show a clear theorizing process and distinct interdisciplinary turn in which researchers not only successfully merge the masculinity theory and manliness theory to greatly improve the interpretation validity of men’s study, but also concentrate on practical strategies of men’s discourse in specific historical contexts to broaden the interdisciplinary horizon of men’s studies. With the deep development of three stages, the research perspectives of men’s studies in China have experienced the shift from the field of psychology, and sociology to the theorizing process and interdisciplinary study, showing a paradigm change from gender discrepancy, gender politics to the practice of men’s discourse, and generating a bidirectional path of critical deconstruction and reflective construction. In order to understand the real circumstances of men in China, and to balance the power critic and humanistic concern, men’s studies in China should take the Chinese reality context as their basement, deeply exploring the localization strategy of the theory. Only with the real solution to men’s problems and the ultimate realization of gender harmony between males and females can men’s studies be localized in China. Based on the special representation of Chinese gender issues, future men’s studies in China must endeavor to reinforce the researchers’ subjectivity, innovate the study method and enlarge the research scope. Only in this way can men’s studies in China develop an effective interpretation scheme relying on a localized standpoint, then convey the unique experience of men’s studies in China to the world and prompt the dialogues and communication of men’s studies between China and the Western world.
隋红升, 赵洁. 跨学科视域下的中国男性研究：理路、脉络与展望[J]. 浙江大学学报(人文社会科学版), 2023, 53(3): 147-160.
Sui Hongsheng, Zhao Jie. Men’s Studies in China from an Interdisciplinary Perspective: Theoretical Path, Venation, and Outlook. JOURNAL OF ZHEJIANG UNIVERSITY, 2023, 53(3): 147-160.
2023, Vol. 53 
