Men and Feminism by Shira Tarrant
Seal Press, 2009
There’s no denying that men’s involvement and interest in feminism is key to its continuing relevance and importance.
Addressing the question of why men should care about feminism in the first place, Men and Feminism lays the foundation for a larger discussion about feminism as a human issue, not simply a women’s issue. Men are crucial to the movement — as fathers, brothers, husbands, boyfriends, and friends.
From “why” to “how” to “what can men do,” Men and Feminism answers all the questions men have about how and why they should get behind feminism. Buy Men and Feminism from Amazon.com.
What’s that? You don’t think that men have been a part of the feminist movement? Oh how mistaken you are! … Tarrant does a brilliant job at showing us how we must pay attention to the plight of boys and men under patriarchy in order to bring out a more just world. —Veronica I. Arreola, Feminist Review
Shira Tarrant aims to show once and for all that men can be feminists too… Kudos to the author for this blame-free book that encourages readers to embrace equality—and provides precise, simple steps to get [there]. —Brandy Barber, Bust Magazine
[Men and Feminism] is brief, it’s engaging, and it doesn’t mince words in explaining exactly what feminism has to offer men, and why they should get behind it. —Cate Simpson, Bitch Magazine
[Men and Feminism] provides a fresh and uncomplicated view that men are also part of the feminist movement. In writing that is highly accessible and quite amusing, this book was both informative and quite fun to read. —Noël Alumit, Frontiers
Shira Tarrant isn’t afraid to go into unexpected territory … [This book] discusses the history of men in feminism, but also analyzes conversations about gender and masculinity while providing resources for men interested in feminist actions. —Allison McCarthy, Womanist Musings
Shira Tarrant’s Men and Feminism helps define the role men can play in a movement liberating women. —Trinidad Guardian Newspaper
One of the misconceptions that many have about feminism is that it’s filled with male bashing and misandry, however Tarrant’s book will help clear up these misconceptions. —Nila Hall, Kansas City Examiner.com
With this concise overview of men’s role in feminism, Shira Tarrant makes a substantial contribution to the project of ally-building across gender lines… Drawing from significant intersectional, antisexist, and antiracist theory, the book is an informative introduction to feminism in general and to how men stand to gain from it in particular.
—“For Your Bookshelf,” the Association of American Colleges and Universities
Men Speak Out: Views on Gender, Sex, and Power by Shira Tarrant
Routledge, 2007
This exciting anthology compiles the diverse voices of men who explore issues of masculinity, sexuality, identity, and positive change. This one-of-a-kind anthology is hailed for asking sharp questions about negotiating the masculinity trap. Join the lively discussion about men’s crucial role in the fight for progressive change.
This provocative book puts issues on the table that are sure to stimulate conversation and lively debate. Buy Men Speak Out from Amazon.com.
This book is where it’s at: showcasing men who not only get it, but also get it right. — Mandy Van Deven, Feminist Review
[A]n important addition to the growing body of work exploring men’s crucial role in the fight for gender justice. — Lisa Jervis, founding editor and publisher of Bitch magazine
…a well-written, engrossing collection that adds even more male voices to the ever-growing body of literature on men and masculinity — J.R. Mitrano, Choice
This is important validation for men trapped in the masculine construct…and for all the trannies and queers who negotiate these issues. — Inga Muscio, author of Cunt: A Declaration of Independence
Not too long ago, a friend of a friend joking-aggressively asked me while we were out and about what the difference between misogyny and sex is… Lucky for me, Shira Tarrant put together a wonderful anthology of men’s views of feminism called Men Speak Out … and you’ll be gratified to know that … the men in this volume understand the distinctions very easily. — Amanda Marcotte, Pandagon.net
One of the best things about these essays is that they are so approachable. While you might not agree with every single writer, you don’t have to worry about being offended or patronized. — Allyson Whipple, BitchBuzz
Men Speak Out is a collection of 39 essays by men who [share] the visions they bring, the questions they have, and the challenges with which they wrestle. — Keely Savoie, Bitch magazine
The collection of essays — written by men, about men — [is] very personal, easy to read, and down to earth. — Byron Hurt, director of Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes
Nothing short of groundbreaking. — Allison McCarthy, Girlistic
[This] can only be sign of better things to come for all of us. — Daisy Hernandez, co-editor of Colonize This!
This is an important book… to savor, discuss, and share with our sons and daughters. — Michael A. Messner, Professor of Sociology and Gender Studies, University of Southern California
I swear, it’s great. — Deborah Siegel, Girl With Pen
Hear an April 23, 2009 broadcast from WBAI radio in which Shira Tarrant spoke about Men Speak Out: Views on Gender, Sex and Power by clicking here. Joining Shira were filmmaker Byron Hurt, author Jeremy Adam Smith, and author Jacob Anderson-Minshall. The group chatted about men, masculinity, sex, relationships, violence prevention, and positive change.
When Sex Became Gender by Shira Tarrant
Routledge, 2006When Sex Became Gender highlights the continuities between postwar interest in sex roles and contemporary arguments about gender. How did the term “sex” turn into “gender”? And is it really true that a vibrant feminist movement disappeared entirely after suffrage gains were won, only to suddenly resurface in the late 1960s?
Conventional wisdom tells us that feminism died during the mid-twentieth century, but this version of the story is not entirely true. When Sex Became Gender brings to light dominant ideals about sex roles and the feminist critiques these generated in the years between World War II and the women’s liberation movement of the 1960s. And in contrast with current books that drive a wedge between feminist generations, When Sex Became Gender highlights the continuities between postwar interest in sex roles and contemporary arguments about gender. Click here to buy When Sex Became Gender at Amazon.com.
By establishing the historical and theoretical connections between feminist eras, Shira Tarrant shows how protofeminist ideas of the past served as the foundation for today’s focus on the social construction of gender.
[Tarrant's] daunting and inspiring project…fills a void in feminist history and feminist scholarship; Tarrant has successfully located the feminist roots of Gender Theory’s and Second Wave feminism’s understanding of gender as socially constructed in a period believed to be entirely bereft of feminist thought. — Catherine R. Mintler, Journal of International Women’s Studies
