Description

What is masculinity? Dominating the world around us, with deadly gun violence, male suicide rates and incels on Reddit, masculinity is perceived to be ‘toxic’, ‘fragile’ and ‘in crisis’.

In Mask Off, JJ Bola exposes masculinity as a performance that men are socially conditioned into. Using examples of non-Western cultural traditions, music and sport, he shines light on historical narratives around manhood, debunking popular myths along the way. He explores how LGBTQ men, men of colour, and male refugees experience masculinity in diverse ways, revealing its fluidity, how it’s strengthened and weakened by different political contexts, such as the patriarchy or the far-right, and perceived differently by those around them.

At the heart of love and sex, the political stage, competitive sports, gang culture, and mental health issues, lies masculinity: Mask Off is an urgent call to unravel masculinity and redefine it.

Publisher Review

'An antidote to Jordan Peterson' -- Guardian 'An uncompromising, heartfelt and completely vital interrogation of this thing we call masculinity. Bubbling with new perspectives and major insights - this is the book about masculinity that we ALL need' -- Jeffrey Boakye, author of 'Black, Listed: Black British Culture Explored' 'A vital addition to books on masculinity. It is opening up conversations, whilst offering guidance towards joyful, emotional, non-violent masculinities' -- Bad Form