An International Psychology of Men ─ Theoretical Advances, Case Studies, and Clinical Innovations

"With this critically timely and important collection of essays, [the editors] open a fresh perspective on the deep psychological experience of being male. The filed of male studies is enriched by these contributions whose authors take seriously how much need to be done to appreciate what is really going on the lives of boys and men."—Miles Groth, PhD, Professor of Psychology, Wagner College; Chair of the Board of Trustees, The Foundation for Male Studies

"This is a vitally important and major contribution to a field still in its infancy: the international psychology of men. The writers, an impressive group of scholars of varying ethnicities and national origins, have been willing to ask the tough questions, answer those which they are able, and challenge scholars and clinicians to take on the others as the field matures."—Chris Kilmartin, PhD, Professor of Psychology, University of Mary Washington

In a time of increased globalization, mental health professionals need to take ethnic and cultural issues into account to provide adequate care for male clients. This text is the first to provide a contextual understanding of the clinical issues that affect men and masculinity across a wide range of cultural and national settings. Numerous international perspectives are offered by the contributing authors on theoretical and clinical innovations for working with men. Their chapters offer insight into the sociocultural contexts for counseling men in and from their respective countries by exploring the ways in which "being a man" is socially defined, what unique challenges men face, and how these challenges can be negotiated within their specific cultural settings. Topics addressed include boyhood notions of masculinity, relationship concerns and power, fatherhood, coping responses of men who have sex with men, and men's body image across the life span. This book will ultimately enable mental health practitioners to have a better understanding of how to work more effectively with male clients.

Chris Blazina, PhD, is Professor of Psychology at Tennessee State University and a licensed psychologist.

David S. Shen-Miller, PhD, MSW, is Assistant Professor of Psychology at Tennessee State University, and also engages in individual, couples, and group counseling, and psychological testing.