The Arena of Masculinity: Sports, Homosexuality, and the Meaning of Sex

by Brian Pronger

Sports are perhaps the most visible expression of the ideals of masculinity in our society, and figure as a training ground on which young boys are taught what it means to be a man. Given the involvement of sports with masculinity, the homosexual athlete becomes a paradox, and the recent explosive growth of gay sporting leagues, a puzzle.

Pronger explores the paradoxical position of the gay athlete in a straight sporting world, examines the homoerotic undercurrent subliminally present in the masculine struggle of sports, and explicates the growth of gay sports in the framework of the developing gay culture.

Genres: LGBT, Nonfiction, Sociology

320 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1990

Reviews

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pronger offers sociological insights into the highly charged yet taken-for-granted intersection of sports, masculinity and homosexuality. I learned a lot from reading the book, primarily because as a woman I was not privy to the internal workings of team sports. However, anyone reading the book will probably come away with new insights.

[kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pronger breaks it all down and builds it back up ... there is explanation of the politics and theory of the jockstrap in here that led me to a series of paintings of said supportive garment.

[JLJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Because homosexuality and athletics express contradictory attitudes to masculinity, violation and compliance respectively, their coexistence in one person is a paradox, the stuff of irony.

The Arena of Masculinity explores the gay experience in relation to the masculine and overtly straight world of athletics.

I found that Brian Pronger's insights were very enlightening, but that as is par for the course for many academic books, the text is oftentimes meandering and repetitive. Also, there are some sections where this book definitely shows its age.

Still fascinating to read when aware of the context in which it was written, but sorely in need of an update.

[Oliver Bateman · Rating 5 out of 5]

See my discussion of this influential monograph here: http://goodmenproject.com/featured-co...

[Dan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Underwhelming.