Abstract

Research on masculinity or "men's studies" have developed since the 80's as a new and interesting branch of gender studies and have drawn scholarly contributions from a large number of countries, particularly the Anglosaxon ones. This essay tries to go through some of the best literature in the field, looking at historical as well as at sociological research. The different authors approach the study of masculinity through a range of topics and methods which often show interesting points of contact and complementary views, as well as weaknesses and gaps. The essay focuses on similarities and differences while emphasizing at the same time the complexity of the task: research on the male gender seems on the whole to be more burdensome and challenging than research on the female gender.