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Robert Jensen | |
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Born | Robert William Jensen July 14, 1958 |
Academic background | |
Alma mater | University of Minnesota |
Thesis | Knowing Pornography (1992) |
Academic work | |
Institutions | Moody College of Communication |
Main interests | Journalism and mass communication |
Notable works | Getting Off:Pornography and the End of Masculinity |
Notable ideas | Media law,ethics,and politics |
Website | http://robertwjensen.org/ |
Robert William Jensen (born July 14,1958) [1] is a former professor of journalism from the University of Texas at Austin. From 1992 to 2018 he taught graduate and undergraduate courses in media law,ethics,and politics.
He has focused much of his work on the critique of pornography and of masculinity,developed in his 2017 book,The End of Patriarchy:Radical Feminism for Men. He also has written about white privilege and institutional racism. He also sits on the editorial board of the academic journal Sexualization,Media,and Society . [2]
Jensen grew up in Fargo,North Dakota. [3]
In 1981,he received a Bachelor of Science degree from Moorhead State University (now Minnesota State University,Moorhead),and in 1985,he received a Master of Arts degree in journalism and public affairs from American University. In 1992 he completed his Ph.D. in media law and ethics in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Minnesota.
Prior to his academic career,he worked as a reporter and copy editor for several newspapers,including the St. Petersburg Times and the St. Paul Pioneer Press . [4]
Jensen writes for popular media,both alternative and mainstream. [5] His opinion and analytic pieces on such subjects as foreign policy,politics,and race have appeared in papers around the U.S. He also is involved in a number of activist groups,including the Third Coast Activist Resource Center. [6]
Jensen wrote an opinion piece for the Houston Chronicle on September 14,2001,shortly after the September 11th terrorist attacks. [7] In the piece,Jensen wrote that the September 11th terrorist attacks were "reprehensible and indefensible" but "no more despicable than the massive acts of terrorism –the deliberate killing of civilians for political purposes –that the U.S. government has committed during my lifetime." [7]
Jensen's piece drew both praise and criticism. Some individuals demanded that The University of Texas fire Jensen. In response,University of Texas President Larry Faulkner wrote in a letter to the editor published in the Houston Chronicle that he was "disgusted by Jensen's article" and called Jensen "a fountain of undiluted foolishness on issues of public policy." [8]
In early July 2014,MonkeyWrench Books collective cut all ties with Jensen over his article reviewing two feminist books that critiqued transgender identity. [9] These books were Sheila Jeffreys' Gender Hurts:A Feminist Analysis of the Politics of Transgenderism and Michael Schwalbe's Manhood Acts:Gender and the Practices of Domination. In the review published by Dissident Voice,Jensen concluded that,"On the surface,transgenderism may seem to be a more revolutionary approach,but radical feminism offers a deeper critique of the domination/subordination dynamic at the heart of patriarchy and a more promising path to liberation" [10] which they felt "contributes to a dangerous culture of transphobia". [9] In addition,Dexter M. Thomas wrote a rebuttal which was also published by Dissident Voice. [11] Jensen responded by writing a follow-up article which elaborated on his views on the ecological and social implications of what he terms "trans ideology". [12]
In 2024,Jensen published It’s Debatable:Talking Authentically about Tricky Topics at Olive Branch Press (an imprint of Interlink Publishing),a book discussing methods of conducting debates on controversial issues. Chapter 5,titled "Defining Sex/Gender:Beyond Trans Ideology",was left out of the original printing of the book;according to the official publisher's description,the chapter would discuss "the confused and confusing ideology of transgenderism". [13] It was replaced in the book by a short note,where Jensen states that the publisher refused to include Chapter 5,due to their policy of support for transgender rights. The chapter was instead made available on Jensen's website. [14]
Jensen identifies as a radical Christian who rejects the supernatural claims of Christian orthodoxy. [15] Jensen is married to musician Eliza Gilkyson. [16]
Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern societies are patriarchal—they prioritize the male point of view—and that women are treated unjustly in these societies. Efforts to change this include fighting against gender stereotypes and improving educational, professional, and interpersonal opportunities and outcomes for women.
Radical feminism is a perspective within feminism that calls for a radical re-ordering of society in which male supremacy is eliminated in all social and economic contexts, while recognizing that women's experiences are also affected by other social divisions such as in race, class, and sexual orientation. The ideology and movement emerged in the 1960s.
A gender role, or sex role, is a set of socially accepted behaviors and attitudes deemed appropriate or desirable for individuals based on their sex. Gender roles are usually centered on conceptions of masculinity and femininity.
Heteronormativity is the concept that heterosexuality is the preferred or normal sexual orientation. It assumes the gender binary and that sexual and marital relations are most fitting between people of opposite sex.
Sexual objectification is the act of treating a person solely as an object of sexual desire. Objectification more broadly means treating a person as a commodity or an object without regard to their personality or dignity. Objectification is most commonly examined at the level of a society (sociology), but can also refer to the behavior of individuals (psychology), and is a type of dehumanization.
Masculinity is a set of attributes, behaviors, and roles associated with men and boys. Masculinity can be theoretically understood as socially constructed, and there is also evidence that some behaviors considered masculine are influenced by both cultural factors and biological factors. To what extent masculinity is biologically or socially influenced is subject to debate. It is distinct from the definition of the biological male sex, as anyone can exhibit masculine traits. Standards of masculinity vary across different cultures and historical periods. It is traditionally contrasted with femininity.
Sex-positive feminism, also known as pro-sex feminism, sex-radical feminism, or sexually liberal feminism, is a feminist movement centering on the idea that sexual freedom is an essential component of women's freedom. They oppose legal or social efforts to control sexual activities between consenting adults, whether they are initiated by the government, other feminists, opponents of feminism, or any other institution. They embrace sexual minority groups, endorsing the value of coalition-building with marginalized groups. Sex-positive feminism is connected with the sex-positive movement. Sex-positive feminism brings together anti-censorship activists, LGBT activists, feminist scholars, producers of pornography and erotica, among others. Sex-positive feminists believe that prostitution can be a positive experience if workers are treated with respect, and agree that sex work should not be criminalized.
Transfeminism, or trans feminism, is a branch of feminism focused on transgender women and informed by transgender studies. Transfeminism focuses on the effects of transmisogyny and patriarchy on trans women. It is related to the broader field of queer theory. The term was popularized by Emi Koyama in The Transfeminist Manifesto.
Pro-feminism refers to support of the cause of feminism without implying that the supporter is a member of the feminist movement. The term is most often used in reference to men who actively support feminism and its efforts to bring about the political, economic, cultural, personal, and social equality of women with men. A number of pro-feminist men are involved in political activism, most often in the areas of gender equality, women's rights, and ending violence against women.
Sexual attraction to transgender people has been the subject of scientific study and social commentary. Psychologists have researched sexual attraction toward trans women, trans men, cross dressers, non-binary people, and a combination of these. Publications in the field of transgender studies have investigated the attraction transgender individuals can feel for each other. The people who feel this attraction to transgender people name their attraction in different ways.
Men's studies is an interdisciplinary academic field devoted to topics concerning men, masculinity, gender, culture, politics and sexuality. It academically examines what it means to be a man in contemporary society.
Michael G. Flood is an Australian sociologist and a professor at the Queensland University of Technology School of Justice. Flood gained his doctorate in gender and sexuality studies from the Australian National University. His areas of research are on violence against women, fathering, pro-feminism, domestic violence, the effects of pornography on young people, safe sex among heterosexual men, men's movements as a backlash to the feminist movement, men's relationships with each other and with women, homophobia, men's health, and gender justice. He is a regular contributor to and is regularly quoted in the media on these and other issues.
Michael Alan Messner is an American sociologist. His main areas of research are gender and the sociology of sports. He is the author of several books, he gives public speeches and teaches on issues of gender-based violence, the lives of men and boys, and gender and sports.
Sheila Jeffreys is a former professor of political science at the University of Melbourne, born in England. A lesbian feminist scholar, she analyses the history and politics of human sexuality.
Research into the many possible relationships, intersections and tensions between language and gender is diverse. It crosses disciplinary boundaries, and, as a bare minimum, could be said to encompass work notionally housed within applied linguistics, linguistic anthropology, conversation analysis, cultural studies, feminist media studies, feminist psychology, gender studies, interactional sociolinguistics, linguistics, mediated stylistics, sociolinguistics, and feminist language reform and media studies.
A man is an adult male human. Before adulthood, a male human is referred to as a boy.
The representation of gender in horror films, particularly depictions of women, has been the subject of critical commentary.
Bethan Benwell, is a British linguist. She has been a senior lecturer in English Language and Linguistics, for the Division of Literature and Languages, at the University of Stirling since 2008.
In feminist theory, heteropatriarchy or cisheteropatriarchy, is a social construct where (primarily) cisgender and heterosexual males have authority over other cisgender males, females, and people with other sexual orientations and gender identities. It is a term that emphasizes that discrimination against women and LGBT people is derived from the same sexist social principle.
Finn Mackay is a British sociologist and radical trans feminist campaigner.
(Robert Jensen; b. July 14, 1958)