Men and Feminism

Shira Tarrant offers up a textbook guide for the feminist dude (both tried and true feminist men as well as those still itching to learn) in Men and Feminism.

Scholar Shira Tarrant aims to show once and for all that men can be feminists too. To that end, she presents us with a fun, sometimes informal textbook tour through the ways men can help advance the cause for women—and humanity. This tome (with its whimsical cover illustration of three hipster gents bedecked in “This is what a feminist looks like” tees) is intended to be used in a liberal-arts college’s Women’s Studies 101 course; sidebars contain passages from feminist authors, provide historical instances of men supporting the rights of women, and highlight honest feedback from male volunteers about their relationships with feminism—including their struggles to grasp the basics of “women’s lib” and difficulty being taken seriously as a feminist by women. This book’s approach, which is neither watered down nor accusatory, is refreshing to peruse; Tarrant makes patriarchy and its political underpinnings less an inflammatory topic that indicts men and more an equality-focused and entertaining historical study. It’s sure to be a treat for former women’s-studies students to re-encounter all the feminist thinkers. (Even more charming is the thought that this book will be read by a generation of young folks, both women and men alike.) Kudos to the author for this blame-free book that encourages readers to embrace equality—and provides precise, simple steps to get both genders there.