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Despite its title, this paper is primarily concerned with the ways in which some men have organized in response to questions raised in the last few decades regarding sex and gender. Whilst reference is made to the experiential, the socio-political and the gay men's groups, the main focus of Samuels's criticism is the so-called mythopoetic men's movement of Robert Bly as outlined in the book Iron John.
The notion that feminism has achieved its aims and that we're all equal now is depressingly prevalent in society. The fact that many men, predominantly white middle class men, are maintaining a view that roles have been reversed and that they are the new victims of sexual politics is probably inevitable. We know enough about defensive systems to be aware that, in order to avoid the anxiety that confrontation of the existing order produces, an appearance of change is frequently assumed. A challenge to the sexual status quo was originated by feminism and the gay movement. As heterosexual men are the ones with the most to lose, any response by this group needs to be regarded with the sort of sceptical eye that has been turned on the New Man. Now we have the Wild Man and Samuels is right to tease out the mysogyny that hides in the heart of the creature as well as the movement's provision of an escape route for individual men from taking responsibility for a persistent and pervasive dynamic. As he says: ‘The mythopoetic movement gives men latitude to claim they have nothing to do with the oppressions of patriarchy’ (p. 61).
The paper begins with an acceptance of the premise that a crisis now exists for men. I am more sceptical. I have no doubt that men are feeling threatened but I am not convinced that many are allowing themselves to internalize the challenge to the point of crisis necessary if the established order - both inner and outer - is to be reexamined and re-formed. The danger of a movement such as that of Bly's is that, whilst maintaining the illusion that those inv