Education and Masculinities - Critical of Gender and Schooling

In this review of Education and Masculinities the authors examine how schools mediate changing gender relations and why that matters to educators and researchers. The book is best for readers who want a thoughtful, sociological account of the relationship between education and contemporary masculinity; its single biggest reason to buy is the clear argument that we are shifting from modernity-era gender formation to a late modern gendering of society, which gives this text theoretical purchase and practical relevance for policy and classroom debates. This review highlights its strengths for analysis and where its scope is most useful.

Key Features

• Theoretical focus: The authors map key social and cultural approaches to gender, giving readers a coherent framework for understanding masculinity in schooling.
• Contemporary relevance: The book connects debates about male teachers and curriculum content to broader shifts in late modernity, helping practitioners see policy in context.
• Cross-sector discussion: Coverage spans media, academy and popular culture so readers can trace how public discourse interacts with school practices.
• Critical perspective: It interrogates the assumption of a masculinity crisis and reframes it as a transformation in gendering processes, which sharpens analysis rather than repeating slogans.
• Accessible argumentation: The writing presents complex sociological ideas in a way that is readable for advanced students and informed practitioners.

Who It's For

Education and Masculinities is aimed at social scientists, graduate students and education professionals who want a critical account of how masculinity is produced through schooling and cultural shifts. It is particularly suited to researchers conducting literature reviews or educators looking to ground interventions in social theory.

Readers seeking practical, lesson-level guidance or quick how-to strategies for the classroom should look elsewhere; this book is analytical and theoretical rather than a practitioner's manual, so those wanting immediate curricular tools may find its scope limited.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Provides a coherent theoretical framework for understanding the changing social constitution of gender, helpful for academic work.
• Links schooling to wider cultural and media contexts, which clarifies why debates about male teachers and curriculum matter.
• Accessible prose for a scholarly audience, making complex ideas usable in policy discussions and research.

Cons

• Not a practical classroom guide, so educators seeking step-by-step interventions will need supplementary resources.

Specifications

Title	Education and Masculinities
Series	Foundations and Futures of Education
Authors	Chris Haywood, Mairtin Mac an Ghaill
Focus	Gender, masculinity and education in western societies
Scope	Media, academy and popular culture interactions with schooling
Approach	Social and cultural theoretical analysis

Our Verdict

Education and Masculinities is a valuable, theory-driven resource for researchers and education professionals who need a critical framing of masculinity in late modern schooling. It is good value for those wanting rigorous analysis linking classroom debates to cultural change, but not for readers who need immediate practical classroom strategies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this book offer classroom activities?
No. The text is analytical and theoretical, focused on sociological explanation rather than step-by-step teaching materials.

Who wrote this book?
It was written by Chris Haywood and Mairtin Mac an Ghaill, scholars working on education and masculinities.

What is the central argument?
The book argues we are shifting from modern-era gender formation to a late modern gendering of society that reshapes how masculinity is produced and experienced in schools.