Men of Money: Elite Masculinities and the Neoliberal Project

Lynn Horton's book explores how finance and technology are shaping new forms of elite masculinity, linking economic inequalities to gender and race identity politics. She examines how extreme wealth is imbued with gendered celebrity and moral authority, and how neoliberalism amplifies market-centered assumptions and practices. Gender systems permeate neoliberal discourse, and there are tensions between technocratic elite masculinities and rightwing populist mobilization.

Format: Hardback
Length: 242 pages
Publication date: 27 May 2022
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield International

In her groundbreaking book, sociologist Lynn Horton delves into the profound ways in which the most dynamic sectors of the global economy, finance and technology, are reshaping the contours of new forms of elite masculinity. Through a meticulous analysis of the lives and discourse of utra-visible male billionaires, Horton sheds light on the intricate connections between economic inequalities and the intricate identity politics of gender and race. By examining the extraordinary accumulation of wealth in these individuals, she uncovers how it is simultaneously imbued with gendered celebrity and moral authority, yet also fiercely contested.

Horton identifies the ways in which neoliberalism, as an ideological project advanced by elite-funded networks of think tanks and advocacy groups, harnesses these masculinities to amplify and normalize market-centered assumptions, values, and practices. Gender systems, as relational and ranked constructs of masculinity/femininity, permeate neoliberal discourse across various domains, including markets, the state, and the household.

Furthermore, Horton delves into the complex dynamics between technocratic elite masculinities, which eschew open sexism and discrimination, and the rightwing populist mobilization of gendered and racialized anti-elite discourse. She explores how these different masculinities interact and influence each other, shaping the political landscape and societal norms.

Through her insightful and thought-provoking work, Lynn Horton provides a crucial lens through which to understand the evolving dynamics of elite masculinity in the age of globalization. Her book offers valuable insights into the complex interplay between economic inequality, gender politics, and racial identity, and sheds light on the urgent need for social and political change.

Weight: 518g
Dimension: 159 x 237 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781786613714