Men at Risk
First published by Jamaica Publishing House, Kingston: Jamaica 1991 second printing 1995
Men at Risk is widely recognized as a landmark study. It is currently out of print and can only be obtained electronically at the Kindle Store of Amazon. Data and occurrences since Men at Risk was first published have underscored the validity of the analyses done, patterns identified and inferences made.
Men at Risk carefully presents data which demonstrate and document the occurrence of the phenomenon of male marginalization in the United States of America a first world capitalist country, the former Soviet Union a second world communist country; and the Commonwealth Caribbean which are open and vulnerable third world countries. It argues that the explanations of racism, sexism, and capitalism given in the United States; or of Stalinist purges, totalitarianism and communism given in the former Soviet Union; or of slavery, colonialism and the plantation economy given in the Caribbean; are contextual and not causal explanations. The critical question in search of causal explanation resides in the shared and common elements of capitalism, racism, sexism, communism, Stalinist purges, totalitarianism, colonialism, slavery and plantation economies. These are domination and subordination.
Men at Risk challenges orthodox definitions of patriarchy and standard accounts of patriarchy’s origins. It records patriarchy’s inherent and historical difficulties in dealing with men, not of the same kinship, that is, alien men. It then offers an alternative definition of patriarchy, a different account of its origins and links male marginalization in ancient and modern societies in terms of changes in the location, distribution, and idiom of power. A central tenet of Men at Risk is that gender is principally the sexual division of power in society.
Using techniques of the novelist to protect the identities of informants, the author outlines some psychological issues confronted by some liberated women and marginal men.
Men at Risk concludes by examining the likely outcome of existing trends as against deliberate and intentional action to chart new directions in organizing contemporary society based on the wisdom gleaned from the history of human civilization.
