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A man cave, mancave, or manspace, and less commonly a manland or mantuary is a male retreat or sanctuary in a home, such as a specially equipped garage, spare bedroom, Home cinema, den, basement, or tree house. The term "man cave" describes an area in the home where a man can do as he pleases in a masculine space.
Writer and handyman Sam Martin explained:
Sociologist Tristan Bridges has interviewed American men and their partners about man caves, and found that many men rarely used their man caves. One interviewee said, "I feel like some day guys from my neighbourhood will congregate here after work and we'll share a beer and chat." When asked who these men from the neighborhood were, the interviewee replied "I don't know". Bridges stated that his research has turned partly into "a story about men's loneliness."
In 2005, Paula Aymer of Tufts University suggested it was the "last bastion of masculinity".
In the book Where Men Hide, which Publishers Weekly described as an affable but only "sometimes thought provoking" guide, author James Twitchell and photographer Ken Ross explored areas where men like to be alone.Publishers Weekly, 2006, James B. Twitchell, Author, Ken Ross, Photographer, Where Men Hide, Accessed July 10, 2013 According to Twitchell, some public male-only spaces, such as the barbershop, are declining and being replaced by spaces such as the "grimy garage." The book suggests that "men make their own spaces for good or ill."
Twitchell focused on communal man cave spaces such as male-only groups in megachurches, possibly a modern-day replacement for declining attendance at male-only clubs such as . Twitchell noted that some have speculated that these spots are a place for men to bond before hunting or war, and where they can "smoke or fart" and tell the "same jokes over and over again."The Calgary Herald, May 19, 2006, Where men hide: Be it a man cave, a hidey-hole or a recliner, guys crave a place to be alone: Whether it is in the garage, the study or even just sitting in a La-Z-Boy recliner playing video games, men feel the need to get away from women occasionally, according to a new book chronicling the gender's favorite hiding spots, Accessed July 10, 2013
One man redecorated his space to look like a replica model of the bridge of the Starship Enterprise from the TV show Star Trek, while another man spent over two years and $120,000 to make his man cave into a Batcave.
Garages have typically been a male space since they "present a guy with an opportunity to disappear for hours while never leaving the premises." In 2007, it was common for men to "lavish time, money and attention on fixing this spot up", with the intention of making it more welcoming.
Design
According to several sources, the general architectural and design trend of the early 2000s was for men to take traditionally male-only spaces, and equip them with masculine aesthetic choices. Man cave accessories include refrigerators, vending machines, , , giant TVs, musical instruments and gear, pool tables, boxing rings, entertainment centers, bars, and sports memorabilia such as trophies. Upscale sports-themed furnishings are available to outfit a man cave. The room may be large enough to accommodate a big screen television, often used for watching sports games with male friends.
Counterparts
Women have created similar spaces in which they can relax and pursue hobbies. These have been referred to as "she-sheds" and "girl-caves". Some analysts have described the manosphere as an online counterpart to the man-cave.DeKeseredy, Walter S., Alexis Fabricius, and Amanda Hall-Sanchez. "Fueling aggrieved entitlement: The contribution of women against feminism postings." Crimsoc report 4 (2015): 1-34.
In popular culture
There have been several examples of man caves in pop culture, including:
See also
Gary Soto (2015). 9781611687118, ForeEdge from University Press of New England. . ISBN 9781611687118
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