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Michael Kimmel

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Michael Kimmel
2012
Born
Michael Scott Kimmel

(1951-02-26) February 26, 1951 (age 73)
New York City, U.S.
Academic background
Alma materVassar College (B.A.)
Brown University (M.A.)
University of California, Berkeley (Ph.D.)
ThesisAbsolutism and its discontents: fiscal crisis and political opposition in seventeenth century France and England (1981)
Academic work
InstitutionsStony Brook University
Main interestsGender studies, men's studies, masculinities, men and feminism
Websitehttp://www.michaelkimmel.com/
Notes
Spouse    Amy Aronson

Michael Scott Kimmel (born February 26, 1951)[1] is an American retired sociologist specializing in gender studies. He was Distinguished Professor of Sociology at Stony Brook University in New York and is the founder and editor of the academic journal Men and Masculinities.[2] Kimmel is a spokesman of the National Organization for Men Against Sexism (NOMAS)[3] and a longtime feminist.[4] In 2013, he founded the Center for the Study of Men and Masculinities at Stony Brook University, where he is Executive Director.[5] In 2018 he was publicly accused of sexual harassment.[6] He filed for retirement while Title IX charges were pending; no charges were subsequently filed.[7]

Background

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Born into a secular Jewish family in New York City, Kimmel earned a B.A. with distinction from Vassar College in 1972; an M.A. from Brown University in 1974; and Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley in 1981 with a dissertation titled: Absolutism and its Discontents: Fiscal Crisis and Political Opposition in Seventeenth Century France and England.[8][9][1]

Before joining the Stony Brook University faculty in 1987, Kimmel worked as assistant professor of sociology at Rutgers University from 1982 to 1986 as well as visiting assistant professor at New York University.[8] He returned to his alma mater, the University of California, Berkeley, where he was visiting professor from 1992 to 1994.[8] In the academic year 1992–1993, he was voted "Best Professor" on campus by The Daily Californian.[10]

Scholarship

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Kimmel is considered a leading figure in the academic subfield of men's studies.[11][12] He has written numerous books on gender and masculinities including Men's Lives (2010, 8th edition), The Gendered Society (2011, 4th edition), Manhood: a Cultural History (2012, 3rd edition), and Guyland: The Perilous World Where Boys Become Men (2008). He has co-edited The Handbook of Studies on Men and Masculinities (2005) and Men and Masculinities: a Social, Cultural and Historical Encyclopedia (2004) which was named "Best of Reference 2004" by the New York Public Library.[13] Moreover, he is the editor of a series on genders and sexualities at New York University Press.[14] In 1992–1993, Kimmel founded the journal Masculinities which was associated with the American Men's Studies Association. The journal was a precursor to the journal Men and Masculinities which was picked up by SAGE Publications in 1998 and became one of the first academic journals focused on men, with Kimmel as its editor.[15]

In 2004, Kimmel was one of 15 scholars chosen for innovative scholarship by the Carnegie Corporation of New York. His research title was "Globalization and its Mal(e)contents: The Gendered Moral and Political Economy of the Extreme Right".[16]

In an article about a "fight club" in Menlo Park, California, Kimmel remarked that there was a sadomasochistic thread running through them, and said they "are the male version of the girls who cut themselves. [...] All day long these guys think they're the captains of the universe, technical wizards. They're brilliant but empty. [...] They want to feel differently. They want to get hit, they want to feel something real."[17]

Personal life

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Kimmel is married to the journalism and media studies academic Amy Aronson.[18] The couple has one son.[9]

Accusations of sexual harassment and retirement

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Just before receiving the American Sociological Association's Jessie Bernard Award in 2018, Kimmel was accused of sexual harassment.[19] Soon after, the Chronicle of Higher Education published an article that outlined allegations, including those of a former graduate student who described Kimmel suggesting they have sex six weeks into her graduate course, and later in her career.[20] The Chronicle article also included a statement by Kimmel, provided by the American Sociological Association, in which he delayed receipt of the award, giving his accusers six months to file a complaint with the American Sociological Association's Committee on Professional Ethics. Kimmel filed for retirement as charges from a Title IX investigation were pending. No charges from Title IX were ever filed. Since that time one of Kimmel's former graduate students accused him of using outdated language to describe the trans community, discussing pornography in work-related settings, and assigning non-work related tasks to his advisees.[7]

Selected publications

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Books

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Articles and Chapters

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Kimmel, Michael S. 1951- (Michael Scott Kimmel)". Contemporary Authors. Gale. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
  2. ^ Korgen, Kathleen Odell; White, Jonathan M.; White, Shelley (2011). Sociologists in Action: Sociology, Social Change, and Social Justice. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Pine Forge Press. p. 175. ISBN 978-1-4129-8283-2.
  3. ^ "Biography". Stony Brook University. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
  4. ^ Hanna Rosin (November 22, 2013). "Even Madder Men". New York Times. Retrieved June 30, 2014.
  5. ^ "Center for the Study of Men and Masculinities". Stony Brook. Archived from the original on 2014-11-06. Retrieved 2014-11-27.
  6. ^ Ratcliffe, Rebecca (August 15, 2018). "Women's rights campaigner accused of sexual harassment". The Guardian. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  7. ^ a b Flaherty, Colleen (August 10, 2018). "Michael Kimmel's former student is putting a name and details to those harassment 'rumors'". Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
  8. ^ a b c "Curriculum Vitae" Archived 2011-06-29 at the Wayback Machine. Stony Brook University. Retrieved May 17. 2012.
  9. ^ a b Schwyzer, Hugo (September 12, 2012). "Raising Feminist Sons: A Conversation With Michael And Zachary Kimmel". Role Reboot. Retrieved June 18, 2019.
  10. ^ "Michael Scott Kimmel (1974)". University of California, Berkeley. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
  11. ^ Bronner, Simon J., ed. (2005). Manly Traditions: The Folk Roots of American Masculinities. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. pp. 38–39. ISBN 978-0-253-34613-1.
  12. ^ Yang, Wesley (September 7, 2008). "Nasty Boys". The New York Times.
  13. ^ "Best of Reference 2004: Superheroes of Reference". New York Public Library. Archived from the original on July 19, 2012. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
  14. ^ "Transdisciplinary Perspectives on Genders and Sexualities". New York University Press. Archived from the original on August 6, 2012. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
  15. ^ "House-husbands and techno-sperm". Times Higher Education. October 8, 1999. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
  16. ^ "Class of 2004 Carnegie Scholars Announced". Carnegie Corporation of New York. May 7, 2004. Archived from the original on September 14, 2012. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
  17. ^ Robertson, Jordon (29 May 2006). "The first rule of Silicon Valley fight club is..." NBC News. May 26, 2006. Retrieved 21 December 2010.
  18. ^ Kimmel, Michael; Aronson, Amy (2011). Sociology now: the essentials. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall PTR. ISBN 9780205731992. Preview.
  19. ^ Coston, Bethany M. (August 9, 2018). "Reclaiming my fear: I will no longer stay silent about Michael Kimmel". Medium. Archived from the original on April 14, 2019. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  20. ^ Mangan, Katherine (August 1, 2018). "'I Want to Hear Those Charges': Noted Sociologist Defers Award Until He Can 'Make Amends'". The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
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Articles online