In this work Rebecca Kay assesses how men in post-Soviet Russia are represented through media and popular discourses. Using case studies she explores the challenges which have arisen for men since 1991 and the ways in which their responses are shaped by and viewed through the prism of widely accepted attitudes towards gender.

Rebecca Kay is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Central and East European Studies at the University of Glasgow, UK. She is author of Russian Women and their Organizations, Macmillan, 2000, winner of the Heldt Prize for the best book in Slavic Women's Studies in 2000. In addition, she is author of a series of articles on gender in contemporary Russia.

Contents: Introduction: studying men in Russia: historical perspectives and international contexts; Heroes or Villains?: 'being a man' in contemporary Russia. Men in the Public Sphere: Military service: rite of passage or waste of time?; 'What kind of a man doesn't provide for his family?': making ends meet in the new labour market; 'What's a man without capital?': the pitfalls and potential of private enterprise. Men in the Private Sphere: 'I couldn't live without my kids': fatherhood as a contested identity; 'A woman has a right to expect certain conditions': personal relationships between men and women; 'Just give me an aspirin and I'll be fine': the provision of social services and support for men, a case study of the Altai Regional Crisis Centre for Men; Conclusions: new perspectives on men in contemporary Russia; Appendix: Respondents' socio-demographic data; Bibliography; Index.