The (In)visible People in the Room: Men in Women’s Studies

Abstract

Men who take Women’s Studies classes often exist in a paradoxical space, the physical bearers of much that is discussed within the room while also the symbol of that which chooses not to participate. This status of (in)visibility, in which men find themselves simultaneously the most conspicuous and the most absent members of the discourse, has led to a situation in which feminist theorizing has not kept up with practical reality. In this article, part narrative and part critical examination, (in)visibility is analyzed as both a phenomenon and an opportunity for the discipline and the theory to move forward toward more productive coalition while keeping lived realities and experiences squarely in the forefront.