Men and Sex: New Psychological Perspectives - Review

Journal of Sex Research, Feb, 1999 by William N. Hayes

Men and Sex: New Psychological Perspectives. Edited by Ronald F. Levant and Gary R. Brooks. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1997, 283 pages. Cloth, $45.00.

While many authors have recently proposed sociobiological and biologically deterministic explanations for the American male's obsession with female physical appearance, combined with a lack of ability to form deep emotional bonds, Ronald Levant and Gary Brooks have assembled a team of researchers who argue for a psychosocial explanation of male sexuality. In particular, the authors propose that the traumatic upbringing of most North American males is the major problem, where emotional displays are discouraged and emotional intimacy is regarded as a loss of autonomy. The result of this unfortunate upbringing is nonrelational sexuality. Sexual desire is experienced primarily as lust with no requirements for relational intimacy or emotional attachment. Nonrelational sexuality is a narcissistic way of experiencing sexuality, characterized by a sometimes startling lack of empathy.

This book deals with male sexuality, especially nonrelational aspects, in 10 chapters written by different authors. There is a danger in this approach of losing one's focus, riding off in all directions at once. This is well-handled by setting the stage in the first two chapters, "Non-Relational Sexuality in Men" by Levant, and "The Centerfold Syndrome" by Brooks. Indeed, the book would be valuable if it only included these two chapters. Pleck's gender role strain paradigm is used as a basic perspective, so it is argued that molding children to fit prescribed gender roles creates several types of strain, including discrepancy, dysfunction, and trauma.

Having set the stage, the next six chapters deal with a range of nonrelational sexuality issues. Chapter 3, "Appearance Obsession" by Joni Johnston, gives an excellent overview of the impact that objectification has on women and on intimate heterosexual relationships. Chapter 4, "Repetitive Infidelity, Womanizing, and Don Juanism" by Don-David Lusterman, uses case studies to provide insight into these problems. In Chapter 5, "Sex as Commodity: Men and the Sex Industry," Wendy Stock shows how the different forms of gender role strain increase the likelihood of men's participation in commercial sex. This chapter includes a forthright discussion of how these forms of nonrelational sex can be harmful. Chapter 6, "Sexual Harassment and Rape: A View From Higher Education" by Earl L. Backman and Linda R. Backman, deals with the violence of nonrelational sexuality in colleges and universities. They also include good suggestions for prevention and intervention programs. In Chapter 7, "Male Gender Socialization and the Perpetration of Sexual Abuse," David Lisak examines sexual abuse and violations of trust. He shows how male gender role and sexual socialization have important effects in this area.

The last three chapters are about specific problem areas. Chapter 8, "Men's Resolution of Nonrelational Sex Across the Lifespan" by Glenn Good and Nancy Sherrod, is an excellent examination of nonrelational sex as a culturally prescribed developmental stage which most North American men enter and some successfully resolve. The many factors that allow men to resolve this nonrelational sexual stage are given an extensive overview. In Chapter 9, "African American Men and Nonrelational Sex," Vernon McClean examines what is known and what is not known about male sexual socialization in the ethnocultural context, focusing on African American men. He notes several ways in which their sexual socialization differs from that of European American men, and discusses these differences. This is an excellent and much-needed chapter. Chapter 10, "Gay Men and Nonrelational Sex" by Roy Scrivner, opens with a discussion of the generalized sex-negative attitudes and behaviors in the United States. He then examines the negative effects of these attitudes on gay men's development and relationships. This is another much-needed discussion.

Finally, there is The Coda, "Toward the Reconstruction of Male Sexuality: A Prescription for the Future," by Brooks and Levant, which deals with the future of male sexuality. They suggest ways to change, both at the personal and societal levels, and argue for the ultimate benefits of such changes.

Overall, there is no question in my mind that this is the single best book available on the topic of male sexuality. The authors and editors should be commended for their excellent effort. This is a book that any sex researcher, educator, or counselor/therapist should have in their library. It also can serve as a model of how to put together an edited volume so that it works well as a whole.

William N. Hayes, Ph.D., Albion College, Department of Psychology, Albion, MI 49224.