Male Bodies in Manhood Acts: The Role of Body‐Talk and Embodied Practice in Signifying Culturally Dominant Notions of Manhood

Abstract

Abstract New developments in the critical study of men and masculinity, known as the manhood acts perspective, have focused attention on the ways that males collectively and individually engage in identity work to present themselves as men (). This review unpacks two central processes through which males use the body to put on a convincing manhood act. First, I review research on institutions and culture in order to explain how various discourses on male bodies provide resources to signify manhood. Second, I demonstrate how males are socialized to use their bodies to symbolize manhood. Overall, I demonstrate how the manhood acts perspective provides a potentially fruitful theoretical framework for understanding previous research on manhood and the body.