This book seeks to imagine the possibility of a more loving masculinity in a society where structural violence, failures of government and economic inequality underpin much of the violent behaviour that men display. Enriched with personal reflections on his own experiences as a partner, father, psychologist and researcher in the field of men and masculinities, Why Men Hurt Women and Other Reflections on Love, Violence and Masculinity is Kopano Ratele's meditation on love and violence, and the way these forces shape the emotional lives of boys and men.
Blending academic substance and rigour in a readable narrative style, Ratele illuminates the complex nuances of gender, intimacy and power in the context of the human need for love and care. While unsparing in its analysis of men's inner lives, Ratele lays out a path for addressing the hunger for love in boys and men. He argues that just as the beliefs and practices relating to gender, sexuality and the nature of love are constantly being challenged and revised, so our ideas about masculinity, and men's and boys' capacity to show genuine loving care for each other and for women, can evolve.

Using conversations, observations, and reflections on his personal experiences, work with men, and scholarship, psychologist Kopano Ratele meditates on love, violence and masculinity.

About the Author
Kopano Ratele is a South African psychologist and men and masculinities studies scholar. He is known for his work on African-oriented psychology, boys, men, masculinity, fatherhood, identity, culture, sexuality, and violence. He is Professor of Psychology at the University of Stellenbosch and Head of the Stellenbosch Centre for Critical and Creative Thought. Among his previously published books are Liberating Masculinities (2016) and The World Looks Like This From Here: Thoughts on African Psychology (2019).


Book Information
ISBN 9781776147632
Author Kopano Ratele
Format Paperback
Page Count 312
Imprint Wits University Press
Publisher Wits University Press