№ 4 - 2007
Vershinina D.B.
Masculinity as a Political Value in the Context of Gender-Involving Discourse

It is ideas about masculinity in women’s and men’s socio-political movements (with primarily Great Britain as example) that are researched in the article. The study of the history of men’s socio-political movements of both pro-feminist and antifeminist persuasion allows to conclude that particular features of their development both in early and in late 20th century entirely depended on the attitude of women suffragettes and women feminists themselves toward the problem of men’s participation in their struggle. And, however that might be, in all variants the category of masculinity has always been and still remains to be central in the system of argumentation of both supporters and opponents of women’s struggle for their political rights. Neither of the parties calls in question the traditional ideas of true masculinity; besides, both of them politically position themselves, all in all, at the right wing.