Ronald F. Levant - The Tough Standard: The Hard Truths About Masculinity and Violence

In their book, The Tough Standard, Levant and Pryor practically rip the topics from todays headlines and situate the troubling events of mens violence in a strong theoretical and empirical body of work, bringing lightinstead of just heatto the issues they address. It is a must-read as a resource to understand and engage in critical issues affecting our lives, families, and the fabric of society in the United States.

James R. Mahalik, PhD, MA, Professor, Lynch School of Education and Human Development, Boston College

Most acts of sexual assault and gun violence are perpetrated by men, yet most men are not violent. How then do we explain the connection between men and violence without condemning men? In this book, Ron Levant and Shana Pryor skillfully address this conundrum, by shifting the focus of analysis to masculinity. This book has the perfect blend of contemporary issues (e.g., the #MeToo movement), science, theory, and practical examples. I highly commend it to anyone who seeks to understand the complex relationship between gender and violence.

Joel Wong, PhD, Professor of Counseling Psychology, Indiana University

Take a deep breath and prepare to hold yourself and your community accountable. Tough Standard takes an honest and well-researched look at the implications of modern masculinity. Accessible to both researchers and nonacademics alike, Tough Standard pulls back the veil to reveal how we are all impactedand indeed complicitin the construction of modern masculinity. As we look to heal and move forward in a positive way, Tough Standard offers invaluable insights and tools to get us there. Its a comprehensive, thoughtful, and profound piece of work. A fine compilation of a lifetime of research and beautifully linked to the political and cultural moments of our time.

Cleo Stiller, author of Modern Manhood and Peabody Award-nominated television host

Between the Gillette ad that prompted a firestorm of criticism and the flood of 800-word sometimes simplistic blogs about manhood, its easy to lose sight of what the evidence says about masculinity and its links to violence. In The Tough Standard, Levant and Pryor do a stellar job of presenting how masculinity shapes violence in our lives and what to do about it. In a historic moment when even talking about masculinity becomes incendiary, they lay out their argument with deeply personal stories and always with empathy.

Gary Barker, PhD, CEO and Founder, Promundo-US

Ron Levant and Shana Pryor have pulled off an astonishing piece of scholarship: synthesizing decades of research on men and masculinities into a book that is both rigorously researched and readily accessible to the lay reader. Levant is one of the fathers of the psychology of men and masculinities discipline who for more than four decades has addressedas he brilliantly does with his coauthor in this important new bookthe full range of the male lived experience, from examining mens sexual and domestic violence and addressing manhood in the #MeToo era to sensitively considering mens health (including depression and trauma). It explores the strain facing men of color and the struggles of white working class men. Acknowledging both the joys and challenges of fatherhood and boys on the journey to manhood, it contextualizes the patriarchal yoke stifling males (as it continues to oppress women and girls). Drawing on foundational research that marked the early days of the study of men and masculinities (Levant coedited A New Psychology of Men 25 years ago)and seamlessly integrating insights from both academic and activist efforts of more recent timesThe Tough Standard will no doubt become an essential guide for men navigating their way through the treacherous waters of traditional masculinity enroute to a profeminist port where the future is more than femaleit is welcoming to male allies.

Rob Okun, Editor & Publisher,Voice Malemagazine, the Magazine for Changing Men

In a nation awash in violence, Ron Levant and Shana Pryors wise book contains a vital message for the moment: Men may be the perpetrators of almost all of this violence, but they are not the only ones at fault. Rather, reared to strongly endorse masculine norms, they learn habits that often harm women, children, the earth, and themselves. Dr. Levant understands that traditional masculinity can be positive with its emphasis on protecting and supporting others. But too often, protection becomes possession, support becomes suppression, and men use their physicality to dominate. Dr. Levant and Ms. Pryor are neither apologists nor prosecutors of men. In this ultimately hopeful book, they contend that given more and better options, most men would choose a type of masculinity that heals rather than harms.

Neil Chethik, BSJ, Executive Director, Carnegie Center for Literacy & Learning; Author, FatherLoss: How Sons of all Ages Come to Terms With the Deaths of Their Dads and VoiceMale: What Husbands Really Think About Their Marriages, Their Wives, Sex, Housework, and Commitment

The Tough Standard is the most important book on men and masculinity available today, and it couldn't come at a more opportune moment. At a time when sex and gender issues are confusing and conflicted, Dr. Levant and Ms. Pryor offer a scientifically sound exploration of what it means to be a good man in today's world. Drawing on 45 years of experience as a leader in the field of men and masculinities, Dr. Levant gives us a book that will change lives for the better. Unlike many evidence-based experts, he shares his own personal journey as a husband, father, and a man. I highly recommend this book for all those who want to understand why men are the way they are and how we can expand our understanding of masculinity to become our best selves.

Jed Diamond, PhD, author of 12 Rules for Good Men and The Irritable Male Syndrome

A provocative, insightful, and useful book that is timely in addressing how mens violence permeates our world. Levant and Pryors excellent data-based analysis on how masculinity ideology and gender role conflict/stress contribute to mens violence toward others is significant in identifying what has been left out of many critical discussions on a national level and in mens and womens lives. This book is highly recommended to anyone wanting to understand the role that violent masculinity plays in explaining Americas number one problemviolence against other human beings.

James M. ONeil, PhD, Professor of Educational Psychology, Department of Educational Psychology, Neag School of Education, University of Connecticut, and a licensed psychologist in private practice in South Windsor, CT

What do men do when long-established concepts of masculinity no longer define the American male? In the workplace, the home, and even the militaryperhaps the last bastion of traditional American masculinitythe roles of men are increasingly challenged. There are no easy answers to the complex and changing definition of masculinity, and Levant and Pryor do not pretend to present any. By a careful dissection of elements of traditional masculine identity, this book provides some insight into how such attitudes have shaped American men. The authors do a service by providing the reader not with answers but with framework for further discussion.

Morgan T. Sammons, PhD, ABPP, Executive Officer, The National Register of Health Service Psychologists

A masterful analysis of what we know