On Men: Masculinity in Crisis

by Anthony Clare

An exploration of the challenged state of masculinity in our post-feminist society of gender equality. As we reach the millennium, there is hardly anything to be done that cannot be done by women - where does this leave men? Have men been pushed out of parenting - even of procreation? The brute strength of the male is no longer necessary to mine coal or build ships - or even make war. Men don't have to "provide" for their families, as more women harness their intelligence and generate their own incomes. Is it surprising that male suicides outnumber female by a factor of 3 or 4 to 1, or that the predilection of males to be violent - once seen as a source of pride - now seems to threaten our very culture and civilisation? Is what Clare calls the "phallic man" - assertive, authoritative, dominant, in control not only of himself but of women - dying out? As a practising psychiatrist, Anthony Clare brings a knowledge of science and medicine plus a deep understanding of the human heart and mind to this lively, readable, fair-handed and above all sympathetic examination of the male in today's society.

Genres: Psychology

326 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 10, 1998

About the author

Anthony Ward Clare was an Irish psychiatrist well known in the UK and Ireland as a presenter of radio and TV programmes. Clare held a doctorate in medicine and a master's degree in philosophy, and was a fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

Author of several popular books on psychiatry, Clare held the positions of Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Trinity College, Dublin and Medical Director of St. Patrick's Hospital, Dublin. His first media appearances were on the light-hearted BBC Radio 4 current affairs programme Stop the Week. He was also for many years the voice of the BBC popular science programme QED. Clare became famous for his probing interviews on radio and television with well-known figures in several series of BBC's In the Psychiatrist's Chair.