{"product_id":"muscular-india-masculinity-mobility-the-new-middle-class","title":"Muscular India : Masculinity Mobility \u0026 The New Middle Class","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMuscular India: Masculinity, Mobility \u0026amp; The New Middle Class\u003c\/strong\u003e by Michiel Baas examines how urban gyms have become spaces where ideas of masculinity, social mobility, and class intersect in contemporary India. Drawing on a decade of research, the book explores the experiences of personal trainers and bodybuilders who seek to improve their economic and social standing while adapting to the expectations of India's expanding middle class. It is an insightful read for those interested in sociology, gender studies, and modern Indian society.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThrough observations of gyms, competitions, workplaces, and everyday life, the book investigates how changing ideals of the male body reflect broader cultural and economic transformations. It also considers the opportunities, challenges, and contradictions faced by men navigating aspirations of professionalism, respectability, and upward mobility.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eAbout This Book\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFocusing on the gyms of urban India, Michiel Baas explores how physical fitness has become closely linked with identity, status, and ambition. The book examines how personal trainers develop not only their physiques but also their language, appearance, and social skills in an effort to connect with affluent clients and advance within the middle class.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe study traces the shift from traditional ideals of masculinity, represented by pehlwani wrestlers, to lean, muscular bodies shaped by contemporary fitness culture and popular influences such as Bollywood. It also discusses the expectations placed on trainers to create welcoming environments for women while distancing themselves from forms of masculinity associated with aggression and exclusion. Alongside these changing ideals, the book highlights the enduring influence of class divisions and the complex realities that limit social mobility.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat You'll Discover\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHow urban gyms reflect social and economic change in contemporary India.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe relationship between masculinity, body image, and professional identity.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHow personal trainers pursue upward mobility through skills, appearance, and social adaptation.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe influence of Bollywood on changing ideals of the male body.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe challenges of balancing modern expectations with existing class barriers.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eInsights from a decade of fieldwork with trainers, bodybuilders, and gym communities.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe ambitions, struggles, and everyday experiences of men working in India's fitness industry.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003ePerfect For\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReaders interested in Indian society and contemporary culture.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStudents and researchers of sociology, anthropology, and gender studies.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReaders exploring masculinity, class, and social mobility.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThose interested in fitness culture and its wider social significance.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhy You'll Love This Book\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMuscular India: Masculinity, Mobility \u0026amp; The New Middle Class\u003c\/strong\u003e offers a thoughtful examination of fitness culture as a lens for understanding changing ideas of masculinity, aspiration, and class in urban India. Combining long-term research with close observation, it provides valuable insights into the lives, ambitions, and challenges of the people shaping this evolving social landscape.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Michiel Baas","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54534065684755,"sku":"BY36.103","price":560.0,"currency_code":"INR","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/booksandyou.in\/products\/muscular-india-masculinity-mobility-the-new-middle-class","provider":"Books and You","version":"1.0","type":"link"}