On the Crisis of (White) Masculinity: Victimization Discourse and Transformations in Racialized Forms of Gender Inequality

This article examines the recurring portrayal of masculinity as being in a perpetual state of crisis over the past two centuries. In response to gendered changes initiated in large part by the feminist movement, the discourse surrounding men’s liberation in the 1970s aimed to challenge traditional notions of masculinity, and within this trend emerged a discourse of (white) masculinity as “in crisis.” We show that such discourses are in fact a perennial feature of transformations in gender relations and document their historically recycled nature. Unpacking the discursive (il)logic of its proponents’ claims, we examine what we present as twin consequences of the discourse: (1) the implicit portrayal of men as victims, and (2) the cultural distraction that deflects attention from pressing societal issues and from the ways masculinity is often entangled with those larger issues. Ultimately, we highlight the need for a critical examination of “crisis of masculinity” narratives and of the complex interplay between masculinity, power, and societal issues more broadly.