St. Louis environmental writer Don Corrigan always learns from the seminar offerings of the American Culture Association / Popular Culture Association’s annual conferences. The ACA-PCA’s Ecology and Culture Interest Group always has topical offerings on media and the environment.
The conference interest group examines portrayal’s of a planet facing environmental challenges as depicted in literature, film, streaming and even poetry, dance and song. This year, Corrigan was surprised to learn that his own literary output was singled out for examination and plaudits.
Author Corrigan’s study, In Search of Manhood: American Men’s Movements Past and Present, has been selected as top pop culture book among those published in 2024. Award recognition was slated for April 18 at the New Orleans convention of the Popular Culture Association.
Choice magazine describes Don Corrigan’s book as “a succinct, accessible chronicle of American men’s constant construction and reconstruction of masculinity and manhood, and a welcome addition to the ever-growing field of men’s and masculinity studies.”
The identity crisis of men and boys in America has attracted media attention nationwide, as American males suffer economic, social and psychological setbacks. Corrigan’s analysis joins those of writers such as Scott Galloway, Richard Reeves, Leonard Sax and Warren Farrell.
Corrigan devotes considerable attention to examining the role that male movie and television icons have played in male self-conceptions. The author details how these iconic figures have been incorporated into a range of men’s movements.
He chronicles the Promise Keepers, Million Man March and fathers’ rights groups of last century. He then examines the rise of more militant contemporary men’s groups including Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, Alt-Knights, and the growing militia movement.
The author also reviews media reaction to U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley’s book on manhood that takes a biblical perspective. Corrigan explores the rise of toxic masculinity in America and suggests new masculine icons be summoned and widely adopted.
Corrigan notes that toxic masculinity is manifest on the environmental front by attitudes that the earth and its creatures are there for exploitation. A new environmental ethic for masculinity would put an emphasis on men as stewards of the planet and its varied wildlife.
“Don Corrigan’s latest book is a welcome and thought-provoking contribution to McFarland’s gender studies list,” said Karl-Heinz Roseman, vice president of sales & marketing. “We’re delighted that his work is being honored by PCA.”
“This book is also a good example of the journalism and academia combo that makes Don Corrigan special,” said Roseman. “For example, he draws upon his background as a newspaper reporter in interviewing members of different men’s groups.”
Corrigan is being singled out for the award established by the late Ray and Pat Browne, in part, for his appreciation of the couple’s holistic approach to cultural studies using media treatments, popular music, cinema and more. The couple was instrumental in starting the American Cultural Association and Popular Culture Association a half-century ago.
The Popular Culture Association headquarters and archives are presently at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. The archival collection began by Ray Brown currently includes microfilm, photographs, video files, and numerous scholarly papers presented on American culture.
Don Corrigan is Professor Emeritus at Webster University in St. Louis and Editor Emeritus at Webster-Kirkwood Times newspaper group. He can be reached at 314-827-9989; 314-968-2699; corrigan@timesnewspapers.com.
Environmental Echo 