The Macho Paradox/Jackson Katz

In this book Jackson Katz speaks to men, about women. He calls men to action not just in support of the women they love but for changing the paradigm of women's issues and taking responsibility for men's violence against women.

A major premise of this book is that the long running American tragedy of sexual and domestic violence - including rape, battering, sexual harassment, and the sexual exploitation of women and girls - is arguably more revealing about men than it is about women.  Men, after all, are the ones committing the vast majority of violence.  Men are the ones doing most of the battering and almost all the raping.  Men are the ones paying the prostitutes (and killing them in video games), going to strip clubs, renting sexually degrading pornography, writing and performing misogynistic music. (p.5)

Women need male allies and activists if we are ever going to make inroads to safety and equality. Jackson calls men to "Have the courage to look inward" and to "Refuse to condone sexist and abusive behavior by friends, peers, and coworkers."  

Men who occupy positions of influence in boy's lives - fathers, grandfathers, older brothers, teachers, religious leaders - need to teach them that men of integrity value women and do not tolerate other men's sexism or abusive behavior. (p270)

       Jackson Katz is Dedicated to Reality