An insightful, thought-provoking, and deeply human book that challenges assumptions while pointing toward more livable futures.
What does it really mean to “be a man” today? Alfredo Ramos turns this question into a compelling investigation, showing how masculinity is less an individual trait than a set of social practices that shape our lives, relationships, and society.
Through sharp analysis and concrete examples, Ramos uncovers the hidden pressures men face, the ways success is measured, and the moments when traditional models of masculinity fail. Piercing Through Masculinities invites readers to see masculinity in a new light—as something that can be more vulnerable, relational, and open to change.
By exploring how care, dependency, and emotional openness can reshape male identities, Ramos encourages us to pierce through masculinities to let oxygen in. Not to create new models of ideal men, but to broaden what it means to be a man and change social meanings and hierarchies.
Transforming masculinities cannot be an individual excercice, but requires public space, collective discussions, since it is not about changing individual attitudes, but about transforming one of the pillars of the organization of our societies. Transforming masculinities requires imagination, […] the ability to envision future masculinities. It is precisely this future scenario that the current hegemonic model lacks the capacity to conceive.