American Men's Studies Association
Encyclopedia
The American Men's Studies Association (AMSA) advances the critical study of men and masculinities by encouraging the development of teaching, research and clinical practice in the field of men's studies. AMSA is an independent organization that provides a forum for teachers, researchers, students and practitioners to exchange information and to gain support for work on men and masculinities.
The major objectives of the AMSA are to encourage the refinement of the parameters of men's studies, to generate theory, and to develop methodologies of the study of masculinities from an ethical perspective that eschews oppression in all forms (namely, sexism, racism, homophobia, anti-Semitism, classism, etc.).
Some early men's studies pioneers (e.g., Martin Acker, Shepherd Bliss, Harry Brod, Sam Femiano, Martin Fiebert, and Mike Messner) formed the Men's Studies Task Group (MSTG). The Men's Studies Task Group proved to be one of NOCM's most active task groups, instituting its own newsletter, the Men's Studies Newsletter, in early 1984. During the next several years, MSTG continued to grow, with its membership approaching a quarter of NOCM’s total constituency . As NOCM renamed itself the National Organization for Men Against Sexism (NOMAS), MSTG became the Men's Studies Association (MSA).
In 1991, MSA's leaders became convinced that the Men's Studies Association needed to hold a separate conference during the academic year, not only to accommodate a growing number of its long- standing NOCM/NOMAS-MSA members, but also to attract those men's studies scholars who were not particularly interested in other M&M activities, or in the explicitly pro-feminist stance of NOMAS and MSA. That fall, the American Men’s Studies Association (AMSA) formally separated from its parent organization, NOMAS. In May 1992, the group’s leaders drafted a mission statement outlining a number of crucial issues fundamental to its academic and professional heritage, and made plans for its first AMSA conference.
AMSA's leadership rejected the tenet that men's studies must be guided exclusively by feminist principles. The leadership argued that given the pluralistic nature of men's studies, AMSA would be committed to provide a forum of open and inclusive dialogue which involves a spirit of mutual respect for our common humanity.
**Leo Duroche, PhD, was elected President in 1997 but was unable to serve. Stephen Boyd was subsequently elected for this term.
As part of its mission, the American Men’s Studies Association has collected men’s studies course syllabi as a resource for people who are developing a course or looking at what is taught in the field. The growing collection, the Men's Studies Syllabus Project, is located on the AMSA webpage.
In 2005, the Board of Directors established the Loren Frankel Student Scholarship Fund in 2005. Dr. Frankel was an inspiring teacher, an accomplished scholar, and a respected colleague. AMSA honored his memory with the establishment of this fund to support students engaged in the critical study of men and masculinities. This fund provides up to $500 each year to a qualified student or students attending and presenting at the annual AMSA Men’s Studies Conference. Graduate and undergraduate students who are attending and presenting at the annual AMSA conference are eligible for the award.
Purpose
The purpose of the American Men's Studies Association is to promote scholarship and teaching in the field of men's studies. The American Men's studies Association is committed to serve as a multidisciplinary forum of men and women irrespective of class background, ethnic origin, religious background, sexual orientation, or physical abilities, whose purpose is to promote critical discussion of issues involving men and masculinities, and to disseminate knowledge about men's lives to a broad audience.The major objectives of the AMSA are to encourage the refinement of the parameters of men's studies, to generate theory, and to develop methodologies of the study of masculinities from an ethical perspective that eschews oppression in all forms (namely, sexism, racism, homophobia, anti-Semitism, classism, etc.).
- AMSA is multidisciplinary in nature and committed to disseminating new knowledge about men and masculinities to a broad audience.
- AMSA seeks the participation and membership of all men and women irrespective of race, class, ethnicity, sexual orientation, physical abilities, nationality, or religious identity.
- AMSA is committed to excellence, inclusiveness, and ethical behavior in men's studies research, publication, teaching, and practice.
- AMSA strongly encourages student participation and membership, offering scholarship and mentoring opportunities for young scholars in the field.
- AMSA values and encourages mutually empowering scholarly and professional relationships that are generative, empowering, and affirming in nature.
Origins
AMSA’s origins started in the National Organization for Changing Men (NOCM), an organization which has existed since the early 1970’s. From its beginning the National Organization for Changing Men (now National Organization for Men Against Sexism) encouraged its membership to form affinity groups composed of people with similar personal and/or professional interests. NOCM organized Men and Masculinity (M&M) conferences, which over the years have become annual events attended by mostly men supportive of an anti-sexist political and personal agenda. At these conferences NOCM members affiliated with the various task groups could meet and share their work and common interests.Some early men's studies pioneers (e.g., Martin Acker, Shepherd Bliss, Harry Brod, Sam Femiano, Martin Fiebert, and Mike Messner) formed the Men's Studies Task Group (MSTG). The Men's Studies Task Group proved to be one of NOCM's most active task groups, instituting its own newsletter, the Men's Studies Newsletter, in early 1984. During the next several years, MSTG continued to grow, with its membership approaching a quarter of NOCM’s total constituency . As NOCM renamed itself the National Organization for Men Against Sexism (NOMAS), MSTG became the Men's Studies Association (MSA).
In 1991, MSA's leaders became convinced that the Men's Studies Association needed to hold a separate conference during the academic year, not only to accommodate a growing number of its long- standing NOCM/NOMAS-MSA members, but also to attract those men's studies scholars who were not particularly interested in other M&M activities, or in the explicitly pro-feminist stance of NOMAS and MSA. That fall, the American Men’s Studies Association (AMSA) formally separated from its parent organization, NOMAS. In May 1992, the group’s leaders drafted a mission statement outlining a number of crucial issues fundamental to its academic and professional heritage, and made plans for its first AMSA conference.
AMSA's leadership rejected the tenet that men's studies must be guided exclusively by feminist principles. The leadership argued that given the pluralistic nature of men's studies, AMSA would be committed to provide a forum of open and inclusive dialogue which involves a spirit of mutual respect for our common humanity.
AMSA Presidents
- 2007-2009
Robert Heasley, Ph.D.
- 2005-2007
Mark Justad, M.Div., Ph.D.
- 2003-2005
Mark Justad, M.Div., Ph.D.
- 2001-2003
Mark Justad, M. Div., Ph.D.
- 1999-2001
Stephen B. Boyd, Ph.D.
- 1997-1999
Stephen B. Boyd, Ph.D.**
- 1995-1997
Charles Miley, Ph.D.
- 1993-1995
Sam Femiano, Ph.D.
- 1991-1993
Sam Femiano, Ph.D.
**Leo Duroche, PhD, was elected President in 1997 but was unable to serve. Stephen Boyd was subsequently elected for this term.
Conferences
Each year since 1993, AMSA has held an annual conference. The conference features two keynote addresses, pre-conference men’s studies workshops, and presentations by over 50 scholars, practitioners and activists. AMSA’s conference is the largest annual men's studies conference in the United States, drawing an international group of participants representing a broad range of academic disciplines and interests. The conference is an open and affirming event featuring scholarship and respectful dialogue on the critical study of men and masculinities.- 1993 Stony Point, NY
- 1994 Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL
- 1995 Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL
- 1996 Howard University, Washington, DC
- 1997 Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
- 1998 Youngstown State University, Youngstown, OH
- 1999 Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN Keynote Speaker: James Nelson A Man’s Experience of Addiction: Reflections on Theology and Gender
- 2000 Buffalo, NY Keynote Speaker: Michael Messner Featured performer: Christopher Kilmartin
- 2001 Albuquerque, NM
- 2002 Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN Keynote Speaker: Demaris Wehr
- 2003 Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN Conference Theme: Globalization and the Critical Study of Men and Masculinities. Keynote Speakers: Susan BordoSusan BordoSusan Bordo is a modern feminist philosopher known for her contributions to the field of contemporary cultural studies, particularly in the area of “body studies.”-Overview:...
& Raewyn ConnellRaewyn ConnellRaewyn Connell is an Australian sociologist. She is currently University Professor at the University of Sydney.-Profile:...
- 2004 Aurora University, Aurora, IL Conference Theme: Masculinities through the Lens of Ethnicity and Culture Keynote Speaker: David T. Abalos and Robert Reid-Pharr
- 2005 Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN Conference Theme: Men and Masculinities in a Violent World
- 2006 Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI • Conference Theme: No Man Is An Island: Masculinities In Relation • Keynote Speakers: Ronald Levant, Stephen B. Boyd
- 2007 University of Missouri Kansas City, Kansas City, MO • Conference Theme: Engaging Boys and Men: How Are We Doing? • Keynote Speakers: Mark Kiselica, Mark Justad
- 2008 Winston-Salem University, Winston-Salem, NC • Masculinities and Institutions: Mapping The Connections • Keynote Speaker: Raewyn ConnellRaewyn ConnellRaewyn Connell is an Australian sociologist. She is currently University Professor at the University of Sydney.-Profile:...
- 2009 Montreal, Canada • Conference Theme: Beyond Borders: Masculinities And Margins Keynote Speaker: Victor Seidler
Publications And Special Projects
The official journal of AMSA is the Journal of Men's Studies, published by Men's Studies Press. JMS is a peer-reviewed journal devoted to providing an interdisciplinary forum for the critical discussion of issues involving men and masculinities and for disseminating new knowledge about men’s lives to a broad audience that includes scholars, practitioners, researchers, policy makers, and students. The Journal of Men’s Studies publishes research—both theoretical and empirical—in the emergent men’s studies field, recognizing the varied influences of class, culture, race, and sexual orientation on defining men’s experiences. The journal’s cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural character disseminates material by men’s studies scholars from various perspectives (political, social, cultural, and historical) as well as various disciplines (anthropology, sociology, history, psychology, literature, theology).As part of its mission, the American Men’s Studies Association has collected men’s studies course syllabi as a resource for people who are developing a course or looking at what is taught in the field. The growing collection, the Men's Studies Syllabus Project, is located on the AMSA webpage.
In 2005, the Board of Directors established the Loren Frankel Student Scholarship Fund in 2005. Dr. Frankel was an inspiring teacher, an accomplished scholar, and a respected colleague. AMSA honored his memory with the establishment of this fund to support students engaged in the critical study of men and masculinities. This fund provides up to $500 each year to a qualified student or students attending and presenting at the annual AMSA Men’s Studies Conference. Graduate and undergraduate students who are attending and presenting at the annual AMSA conference are eligible for the award.
See also
- Men's StudiesMen's studiesMen's studies, sometimes called masculinity studies, is an interdisciplinary academic field devoted to topics concerning men, masculinity, gender, and politics...
- Gender StudiesGender studiesGender studies is a field of interdisciplinary study which analyses race, ethnicity, sexuality and location.Gender study has many different forms. One view exposed by the philosopher Simone de Beauvoir said: "One is not born a woman, one becomes one"...
- Women's StudiesWomen's studiesWomen's studies, also known as feminist studies, is an interdisciplinary academic field which explores politics, society and history from an intersectional, multicultural women's perspective...
- National Organization of Men Against Sexism
- Men's Studies PressMen's Studies PressMen's Studies Press is an academic publisher registered in Harriman, Tennessee since 1992. They produce five journals, and have also published monographs and collections of essays...