Michael S. Kimmel Quote

That men prove their manhood in the eyes of other men is both a consequence of sexism and one of its chief props. Women have, in men’s minds, such a low place on the social ladder of this country that it’s useless to define yourself in terms of a woman, noted playwright David Mamet. What men need is men’s approval. Women become a kind of currency that men use to improve their ranking on the masculine social scale.

Michael S. Kimmel

That men prove their manhood in the eyes of other men is both a consequence of sexism and one of its chief props. Women have, in men’s minds, such a low place on the social ladder of this country that it’s useless to define yourself in terms of a woman, noted playwright David Mamet. What men need is men’s approval. Women become a kind of currency that men use to improve their ranking on the masculine social scale.

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About Michael S. Kimmel

Michael Scott Kimmel (born February 26, 1951) is an American retired sociologist specializing in gender studies. He was Distinguished Professor of Sociology at Stony Brook University in New York and is the founder and editor of the academic journal Men and Masculinities. Kimmel is a spokesman of the National Organization for Men Against Sexism (NOMAS) and a longtime feminist. In 2013, he founded the Center for the Study of Men and Masculinities at Stony Brook University, where he is Executive Director. In 2018 he was publicly accused of sexual harassment. He filed for retirement while Title IX charges were pending; no charges were subsequently filed.