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 First edition | |
| Author | Susan Faludi |
|---|---|
| Subject | Masculinity |
| Publisher | HarperCollins |
Publication date | 1999 |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| ISBN | 978-0380720453 |
Stiffed: The Betrayal of the American Man is a 1999 book byfeminist authorSusan Faludi, her followup toBacklash: The Undeclared War Against American Women. The book addresses the state ofmasculinity in late-20th-century America.
Faludi explores various topics including job losses from the closure of theLong Beach Naval Shipyard,hazing atThe Citadel, the effects on the localDawg Pound fan base as the originalCleveland Browns pondered a move toBaltimore, the rise of thePromise Keepers movement, male roles in the 1960sNew Left, theMy Lai Massacre, the making of the filmRambo: First Blood, theWaco Siege and the making of the subsequent documentary filmWaco: The Rules of Engagement, theProject Apollo Moon landings, and men in the pornography industry.[1]
The common theme that runs through the book is that men have attempted to live up to the expectations of masculinity established in post-World War II America, only to find society not living up to its end of the bargain asglobalization,downsizing and other economic pressures have made it difficult for men to live up to their expected roles as providers. At the same time, she applies a feminist critique to these expectations, while noting that the feminist critique of the rise of an ornamental culture applies to men as much as women: As the culture has shifted toward an ornamental one in which awards, popular culture symbols of ideal masculinity, and economic bottom lines have become the societal norms of success, ordinary men are losing self-esteem and a sense of purpose. In particular, she links the problems of many men today with abusive or absent fathers when growing up, and is critical of the rise of a corporate "organization man" culture in the 1950s and 1960s, which led to absent fathers failing to provide a positive, nurturing environment to their children, and then to failed expectations as companies laid off longtime loyal employees during the 1980s and 1990s.[2]
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