The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity, and Love

hooks suggests that patriarchy is rooted in an evolutionary need for predatory behavior. Both men and women needed to be aggressive and violent to survive the harsh challenges of early human life. However, evolution changed the predator/prey relationship, and humans now find themselves at the top of the predator hierarchy. These principles were maintained, however, through patriarchy. Many people believe that men must be indoctrinated into a culture of violence and aggression to maintain their predator status and protect their families and societies. hooks shows that this need for “warriors” diminishes as patriarchy is dismantled.

What, then, can take its place, and how do people begin to engage in a cultural overhaul? Each chapter of The Will to Change explores the various ways that patriarchy adversely affects both men and women; hooks then ends each chapter with an alternative solution. She argues that the only way to dismantle patriarchal structures is through a willingness to change and proposes that a passive approach to patriarchy will always result in abuse and violence. hooks suggests that true change requires intention. While some men manage to challenge patriarchal values and carve out their own form of masculinity, few do so while actively considering patriarchy and its influence on their lives.