What: Michael Kimmel presents "Guyland: The Perilous World Where Boys Become Men," as part of Women's History Month at the University of North Texas. The lecture is sponsored by the Women's and Gender Studies program at UNT.
When: 7 p.m. March 10 (Tuesday)
Where: Ballroom of UNT's Gateway Center, 801 North Texas Blvd
Cost: Free
More Information: Visit the UNT Women's and Gender Studies Program website.
DENTON (UNT), Texas -- Michael Kimmel, a leading researcher and writer on men and masculinity, will visit the University of North Texas to present a lecture titled "Guyland: The Perilous World Where Boys Become Men," based on his best-selling book of the same name. The lecture will be sponsored by the Women's and Gender Studies program.
The lecture will be held at 7 p.m. March 10 (Tuesday) in the Ballroom of UNT's Gateway Center, 801 North Texas Blvd. A Q&A with Kimmel will follow the lecture.
Kimmel will focus on the college-specific aspects of "Guyland" (2008) for his presentation at UNT. Such aspects include how parenting strategies have affected the behavior of men in college, the social dynamics of universities and how changes in women's lives have impacted men. The combination of these factors has had serious consequences for the modern university, according to Kimmel's book.
Sandra Spencer, director of Women's and Gender Studies at UNT, thinks Kimmel's lecture will be relevant given the increased recognition of sexual assault on campus.
"Universities all over the U.S. are being made aware that there are issues regarding sexual assault," said Spencer. "Our university, like many others, is really looking into what we can do to prevent sexual assault, what we can do to record it when it does happen, and how to best make campuses safe for women and men. So, Kimmel's talk about how young men grow up differently now than they did 30 or 40 years ago and how that has affected everything in their lives is very timely."
Spencer also said that Kimmel's lecture will provide a great opportunity to highlight the recent name change from Women's Studies to Women's and Gender Studies.
"We changed our name to Women's and Gender Studies a few months ago to better reflect the scope of our program and what we actually talk about in our classes," Spencer said. She added that Kimmel's presentation will provide "important insights into the troubling social world of young men and the ongoing issues affecting U.S. college campuses."
In addition to "Guyland," Kimmel has written several other books on men and masculinity. His latest, "Angry White Men," (2013) explores different groups of men who believe that they are victims of discrimination in America. Previous books include "Manhood in America: A Cultural History," (1996) which was widely praised by critics and is seen as an essential work in the field of gender studies.
Kimmel is a distinguished professor of sociology and gender studies at Stony Brook University in New York, where he directs the Center for the Study of Men and Masculinities. He was also the first man to deliver the International Women's Day lecture at the European Parliament, the Council of Europe, the European Commission and the European Space Agency.
Co-sponsors of Kimmel's lecture include the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Dean of Students, the Multicultural Center, the College of Arts and Sciences and the Department of Sociology.
For more information, visit the Women's and Gender Studies website.