Masculinity

Library Journal

The women's movement has also benefited men, in that now men too are free to question the limitations placed on them by gender roles. Consequently, quite a number of books dealing with the issue of what it means to be a male are available today. Steinberg makes a significant contribution to this literature by approaching the issue as Jungian. He argues that a boy distinguishes between a masculine and a feminine gender role and that he needs to be secure in the masculine role as defined by his culture. The time will come when he needs to break out of the role's limits, yet not all men do. Steinberg enlivens the discussion with real case histories, dreams, and myths. His book is easy to read, although it is not completely on the popular level. Recommended as a serious contribution to the literature on male development.-- John Moryl, Yeshiva Univ. Lib., New York