Now and Men

Breaking the Ice: Male Allyship and Hypermasculine Sports Culture in Canada – Landon Kenney

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 05:00:00 +0000

The need to engage with men and boys about issues such as consent, healthy relationships, and preventing violence and abuse is more urgent than ever at a time when world leaders such as Donald Trump and spaces like the Manosphere are projecting dominating, destructive images of masculinity around the world. This certainly applies in Canada, where the spread of far-right politics next-door in the US is having a significant impact – and where Prime Minister Mark Carney is arguably demonstrating a different kind of leadership.

Our guest, Landon Kenney, is someone who is working to show that men and boys don’t have to be angry, tough and violent – and that they can work together with women, girls and gender diverse people to create a more equitable and peaceful society. He coordinates the Male Allies Program for the Sexual Assault Support Centre of the Waterloo Region in Ontario (SASC), Canada.

In this episode, Landon tells us about the work that SASC and the Male Allies Program have been doing since 2008 to prevent sexual and gender-based violence with men, boys, and organisations such as Hockey Canada and the Ontario Hockey League. We discuss the importance of changing macho sporting cultures, highlighted by the sexual assault scandal in Canadian ice hockey in recent years. We also talk about hopeful shifts in cultural discourses about masculine norms, exemplified in the recent hugely popular Canadian TV series ‘Heated Rivalry’. We explore how masculinity is depicted in this powerful show, and the potential it has to help men and boys open up about intimacy, vulnerability, and sexuality.

Find out more:

Episode timeline:

Intro
What the Male Allies Program involves (02:41-04:29)
How the program was initiated by the Sexual Assault Support Centre (04:29-07:48)
Landon’s own journey into this work (07:48-11:00)
Being accountable to women (11:00-17:36)
The impacts violence prevention work has on men and boys (17:36-21:38)
How Trump has affected Canadian society and Mark Carney's response (21:38-29:17)
Break
Working to create change in ice hockey and sport (29:26-33:07)
Addressing hypermasculine sports cultures (33:07-36:46)
The Hockey Canada sexual assault scandal (36:46-40:40)
Heated Rivalry and its portrayal of masculinity (40:40-47:09)
The impact of the show on Canadian society (47:09-50:53)
Professional male athletes coming out as gay (50:53-53:34)
The future for profeminist work in Canada (53:34-55:42)
Conclusion (55:49-01:02:36)

More info:

'Fit, Strong, Virile': How Masculinity Disciplines Men's Bodies - Prof Brendan Gough

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Many men are now engaging in a variety of behaviours traditionally associated with femininity – such as trying to make their bodies look good, worrying about their fertility, and opening up about their emotions. But what is driving these shifts? And to what extent do such practices challenge conventional norms of masculinity, or reinforce them? In this episode, Prof Brendan Gough discusses his wide-ranging research on contemporary constructions of masculinity.

We explore the pressures patriarchal societies place on men: to be fit and healthy, lean and muscular, sexually virile, and self-reliant, and how these combine with neoliberal expectations that disciplining our bodies and having good wellbeing is an individual responsibility. We also discuss the ways in which these norms are being subtly challenged and changed, for example through efforts to encourage men to be open and honest about their feelings and struggles such as depression, and provide support to one other, including in online communities. Brendan reflects on what can help to steer this change in healthy directions – and how spaces such as the Manosphere may be exacerbating men’s insecurities about their bodies. He also considers the strengths and weaknesses of the UK government’s new men’s health strategy and health promotion efforts aimed at men.

Brendan is a critical social psychologist and qualitative researcher based at Leeds Beckett University in the UK. Over several decades, he has published a wealth of research on men and masculinities, particularly in relation to health, lifestyle, and wellbeing.

University profile page
LinkedIn
‘Contemporary Masculinities: Embodiment, Emotion and Wellbeing’ (Palgrave Macmillan, 2018)
‘(In)Fertile Male Bodies: Masculinities and Lifestyle Management in Neoliberal Times’ (with Dr Esmée Hanna, Emerald, 2022)

Episode timeline

Intro
What sparked Brendan’s interest in masculinity (02:08-05:40)
The positives as well as harms of online spaces (05:40-09:36)
Men’s complex current relationship with gender equality (09:36-13:44)
‘Healthism’ and its connections to masculinity (13:44-15:40)
The use of masculine norms in health promotion (15:40-19:55)
The UK govt’s men’s healthy strategy (19:55-24:29)
Break
Men’s struggles with body image (24:41-28:53)
How attention towards appearance is rationalised in masculine terms (28:53-32:00)
‘Metrosexuality’ and grooming practices (32:00-34:01)
Pressures to have a lean and muscular body (34:01-36:18)
The impact of infertility on men (36:18-41:39)
Men’s bodies as machines (41:39-42:34)
What helps men share their experiences of depression (42:34-45:58)
The use of ‘masculine capital’ to legitimise vulnerability (45:58-47:57)
The value of peer support (47:57-49:45)
The influence of the manosphere (49:45-51:40)
Conclusion (52:12-01:00:30)

More info

Now and Men - 2026 Trailer

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 04:30:00 +0000

Since 2021, Now and Men has been initiating conversations about changing masculinities and challenging norms. New episodes drop every month - listen wherever you get your podcasts, and share with anyone interested in men's role in gender equality!

Music: 'Now is time', courtesy of Chaps' Choir and Dom Stichbury.

Men on the Margins: Supporting Engaged Fatherhood - Prof Anna Tarrant

Tue, 13 Jan 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Fathers on low-incomes and young fathers are often portrayed in media and politics as ‘feckless’ and ‘failing’. Father absence is blamed for a wide range of social problems, including crime, antisocial behaviour, and poor educational outcomes. These discourses have intensified in the UK in recent months with renewed assertions about a ‘crisis of masculinity’. However, Professor Anna Tarrant’s research over many years demonstrates that most fathers, including those who are young or experiencing poverty, very much want to care for their children. Yet they face numerous structural obstacles in doing so, such as a lack of secure jobs, suitable housing, or welfare support, and being sidelined by services who may see them as inherently ‘risky’. Young fathers in particular (as with young mothers) are frequently presented as a ‘social problem’.

Anna’s research challenges these unhelpful stereotypes, shining a light on the ways in which many young men and working-class fathers (as well as grandfathers, uncles, brothers, and other family members) are engaging in love and caregiving, with transformative impacts on them, their children, and their partners. She discusses what changes need to happen for policies and services to become more ‘father-inclusive’ without undermining vital support for mothers, and why this is good for gender equality and for society as a whole.

Anna Tarrant is a Professor of Sociology at the University of Lincoln (UK), a UKRI (UK Research and Innovation) Future Leaders Fellow, and Director of the Centre for Innovation in Fatherhood and Family Research. She is currently the Director of the UKRI-funded Future Leaders Fellowship study, 'Following Young Fathers Further'. She has written three books:

The Dynamics of Young Fatherhood (with Bren Neale, Policy Press, 2024)
Men, Families and Poverty (with Kahryn Hughes, Palgrave Macmillan, 2023)
Fathering and Poverty: Uncovering Men's Family Participation in Low Income Families (Policy Press, 2021)
Follow Anna on LinkedIn
Anna is also the Director of the Father-Inclusion Hub

She is also co-editor, with Linzi Ladlow and Laura Way, of the book ‘Men and Welfare’ (Routledge, 2022), in which Sandy and Stephen have a chapter on ‘Men, work, and care in the UK in the wake of COVID-19’.

Episode timeline

Intro
Notions of a ‘crisis of masculinity’ due to fatherlessness (02:59-08:17)
Obstacles low-income fathers face (08:17-11:12)
Lack of housing (11:12-13:21)
Why young fathers are constructed as a ‘social problem’ (13:21-17:27)
Barriers to services engaging with fathers (17:27-22:12)
Break
How gender norms influence societal perceptions of fathers (22:22-25:10)
Working with fathers who have been abusive (25:10-28:50)
What a father-inclusive approach looks like (28:50-34:19)
Policy change to support active fatherhood (34:19-41:38)
Anna’s early research on grandfathers (41:38-48:28)
The personal dynamics of research (48:28-51:22)
Conclusion (51:22-59:22)

More info

Music: 'Now is time', courtesy of Chaps' Choir and Dom Stichbury.

Martial Law, Gender Conflict, and the ‘Feminist Reboot’ in South Korea - Goldie Kim

Wed, 03 Dec 2025 05:00:00 +0000

How have young feminists challenged the patriarchal culture of South Korea in recent times? How are young men reacting to the upsurge in support for feminist ideas and activism? What is the background to the dramatic conflict around gender and masculinity in the country the last few years, and how might it be resolved?

Please note: This episode includes discussion about sexual violence.

On 3rd December 2024, a huge political upheaval took place which drew global attention when President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law. But this only lasted six hours as opposition lawmakers managed to get past the police and military, gain entry to the Assembly, and pass a resolution to lift it. Young women in the so-called “cheering light brigade” and the “kisses squad” played a key part in the pro-democracy movement that grew to impeach the President, staying out in public squares in freezing temperatures to demonstrate.

These events followed a long-standing backlash against gender equality in South Korea, and the gains for women’s rights made since the 1980s. Three years of Yoon’s Presidency led to a dramatic roll-back on hard-won gender equality policies. He pledged to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, withdrew plans for a non-consensual sex law, undermined safe abortion service, and removed funding for sexuality and human rights education.

These regressive moves reflect the rise of Manosphere communities over the past decade, fuelling men’s grievances against feminism and legitimising men’s violence against women in South Korea. Whilst the country leads the world in internet connectivity and hi-tech innovation, anti-feminist online spaces have become breeding grounds for various forms of digital crime, such as spy cameras in public toilets and deepfake pornography. So how have feminists been responding to this, how can solidarity be built among men and women amidst these divisions, and what lessons does this provide for gender equality advocates around the world?

Our guest is Myoung Ryoon Kim (better known as Goldie). She’s an educator in the prevention of gender-based violence and an activist for gender equality. A graduate of Kyung-Hee University, Goldie has held numerous positions in South Korean NGOs working on gender issues over the past 30 years. In 2025, she became the Director of GOMA (Gender Justice Organisation for More Action) Korea, and is one of the founders and current co-coordinator of K-MEN (the newly-formed Korean MenEngage Network). She talks honestly about her personal experience of gender violence, how she became involved in this struggle, and how she maintains her motivation to continue through such difficult times.

Episode timeline

Intro
The social position of women in South Korea today (02:49-06:14)
Femicide and the Gangnam Station Exit 10 Murder Case (06:14-09:58)
‘Soranet’ and men’s violence against women online (09:58-15:29)
The rise of the Manosphere and tech-facilitated abuse in South Korea (15:29-20:47)
The ‘Feminist Reboot’ that has emerged in response (20:47-25:26)
Break
Reversals in gender equality under President Suk Yeol Yoon (25:35-28:25)
Yoon’s masculinist attempt to impose martial law (28:25-31:04)
The pro-democracy movement led by young women (31:04-35:33)
Support for right-wing politicians among some young men (35:33-38:19)
The relationship with North Korea, militarism and conscription of young men (38:19-43:25)
Engaging men in gender equality in South Korea (43:25-47:00)
What led Goldie to this work and what keeps her going (47:00-51:50)
Conclusion (52:46-59:52)

More info

Music, 'Now is time', courtesy of Chaps' Choir and Dom Stichbury.

Towards Progressive Masculinities? Young Working-Class Men in Transition - Prof Steven Roberts

Fri, 07 Nov 2025 05:45:00 +0000

Is masculinity ‘under attack’, and are boys increasingly ‘lost’? How valid are concerns about boys’ and young men’s achievement in education? What is the impact on them – and girls and young women – of the rise of the Manosphere and right-wing populism? In this episode, Prof Steven Roberts argues that the picture is much more complicated than is often presented, with, for instance, mixed effects on different racial and class groups. He challenges the pervasive narrative that tells young men gender equality threatens their positions and that traditional gender norms must be reasserted, arguing that this backward-looking approach feeds a sense of ‘manufactured outrage’ and ‘instructed victimhood’ among men and boys.

Instead, he stresses the need for an alternative discourse which embraces gender equality, builds on the under-recognised positive changes taking place in (working-class) masculinity, and provides a more hopeful vision. He suggests, for instance, that many young working-class men find ways to adapt to the shifting labour market, working in sectors which are not seen as traditionally masculine such as retail and care, and forging more complex masculine identities as a result.

Drawing on his research with Dr Stephanie Wescott in schools, Steven highlights the impact of sexist and misogynistic behaviour among young men influenced by the Manosphere and the complicity and responsibility of schools, and what they should do to promote gender-based violence prevention and early intervention work and develop wider school culture, norms, and leadership.

Steven also talks movingly about the sustained violence and controlling behaviour he experienced from men when growing up, the impact on his work and life, and his remarkable transition to being an academic. He draws attention to the wider implications, including, for example, how the significance and prevalence of men’s violence is often downplayed, and the importance of breaking men’s silence on this issue.

Steven is a Professor of Sociology in the School of Social Sciences at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. He has published numerous journal articles, (co-)authored three books, and edited six more about changes and continuities in boys and men's masculinity practices, and inequalities in young people’s transitions to adulthood. Steven makes regular contributions to the media and other forms of public discussion. He writes frequently, for example, for the ABC, the Conversation and Women’s Agenda, and has appeared in a raft of media outlets in print, TV and radio nationally and internationally.

Episode timeline

Intro
The play Inter Alia (00:41-03:35)
What drew Steven to working on masculinity (03:35-05:59)
What made Steven share his experiences of men’s violence (05:59-08:43)
Encouraging other men to share their stories (08:43-10:37)
Sexism and misogyny in schools today (10:37-15:52)
Where boys are learning this behaviour from (15:52-20:17)
Manufactured outrage around young men being ‘under attack’ (20:17-23:34)
The masculinist politics of ‘protecting the nation’ (23:34-28:06)
The relationship between class, race, and the rise of the far-right (28:06-32:54)
Changing the discourse around boys and young men (32:54-36:36)
Break
The limitations of narratives about boys’ performance at school (36:46-41:22)
Wellbeing struggles among both girls and boys (41:22-43:51)
The impact of domestic abuse at home on school (43:51-49:49)
How personal transitions shape research interests (49:49-54:24)
Working-class communities driving change and providing seeds of hope (54:24-01:00:18)
Conclusion (01:00:58-01:09:24)

Futher reading

After Apartheid: Masculinity, Love and Violence in today's South Africa - Prof Kopano Ratele

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 05:30:00 +0000

What role does love have to play in transforming men and masculinities? Why is it that so many men and boys struggle to give and receive love, yet feel great hunger for it? How should we understand the complex relationship between masculinity, love, and violence – why do men enact violence towards the people we claim to love? Why do dominant notions of masculinity often conflict with love and vulnerability? We discuss these issues with Kopano Ratele, Professor of Psychology at the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa, drawing on his recent book ‘Why Men Hurt Women and Other Reflections on Love, Violence and Masculinity’, published in 2022 by Wits University Press. Kopano puts forward honest personal reflections about his own experiences with love as a partner, father, psychologist and researcher in the field of men and masculinities.

The second part of the episode explores Kopano’s vital work on critical and cultural African psychology, and the need to apply a decolonial lens to men and masculinities work. Decolonisation involves not only the process of undoing colonial rule, but also deeper shifts away from Western systems and structures of knowledge and power – including in our own psyches. Applying this approach to gender relations, Kopano highlights how a vibrant, Global South range of scholarship on men and masculinities now exists, which asks questions of dominant Western-centric frameworks. For example, he draws attention to the complex position of men of colour in Africa, who may simultaneously have some degree of male privilege, whilst also having been marginalised by colonisation. Our discussion concludes with his thoughts on the ‘softer’ masculinity displayed by South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, and what impact his condemnation of violence against women and related policy initiatives are having on the very high levels of violence in the country.

Kopano has published an extensive body of work focusing on the core themes of this episode. Alongside authoring multiple books, chapters, and journal articles, he has served as a member of the Ministerial Committee on Transformation in South African Universities, convener of the National Research Foundation’s Specialist Committee for Psychology Rating Panel, president of the Psychological Society of South Africa, and chairperson of Sonke Gender Justice.

Episode timeline

Intro
Why Kopano is interested in questions of love (02:30-04:39)
Why so many men struggle to give and receive love (04:39-08:54)
The relationship between (an absence of) love and men’s violence (08:54-13:37)
Kopano’s own personal struggles with love (13:37-17:42)
Opening oneself up to vulnerability (17:42-20:27)
Helping men to embrace a loving masculinity (20:27-26:03)
How Kopano became involved in profeminism (26:03-31:42)
Break
Why men and masculinity studies needs to be decolonised (31:53-41:56)
The complexities of masculinity, race and power in Africa (41:56-48:17)
Cyril Ramaphosa’s Oval Office exchange with Donald Trump (48:17-49:59)
Ramaphosa’s vocal condemnation of violence against women (49:59-54:06)
Pushing for deeper social change in South Africa post-Apartheid (54:06-56:01)
Conclusion (56:32-01:04:45)

Music, 'Now is time', courtesy of Chaps' Choir and Dom Stichbury.

"Women's Wars are not Men's Wars" - Prof Cynthia Enloe and Feminist Curiosity in Times of Militarisation

Wed, 03 Sep 2025 06:15:00 +0000

How do women and men suffer in different ways in wartime? How are distorted ideas about masculinity and femininity manipulated to promote and justify wars and recruit men to fight? What can be done to counter a return to patriarchal societies post-conflict? How are feminists responding to increasing militarisation in these dark times?

Over many years, Cynthia Enloe has drawn on women’s first-hand experiences of war to show how patriarchy and militarism have become embedded in institutions and personal lives. Her analysis highlights how wartime shapes the gendered politics of issues such as marriage, family, work, childcare, food, income, prostitution, domestic violence and rape. She criticises the notion of a hierarchy of wartime suffering between women and men and draws attention to how men are coerced into being soldiers, framed as protectors of women, conscripted into militaries, and suffer death, injury and trauma in large numbers from direct wartime violence. She also shows how women’s emotional and physical labour is exploited by governments to support war-waging policies, and how different groups of women and men have tried to resist these efforts.

In this episode, Cynthia reflects on these issues in particular in relation to the ongoing war in Ukraine, and the underlying patriarchal ideas and processes that perpetuate the conflict. Echoing a perceptive and long-standing theme in her work, she brings a feminist curiosity to what she sees, and encourages observers to remain attentive to the full range of questions that should be asked, rather than narrowing focus and leaping to easy assumptions.

Cynthia Enloe is an activist, researcher and teacher, and still engaged - in her words - in the lifetime process of ‘becoming a feminist’. She is Research Professor at Clark University in Massachusetts and internationally renowned for her work on the interactions of feminism, women, militarised culture, war, politics, and globalised economics in countries such as Japan, Iraq, the US, Britain, the Philippines, Canada, Chile, and Turkey. She’s written 15 ground-breaking books, including her latest Twelve Feminist Lessons of War, 2023 (Footnote Press/University of California Press), for which she reads the audiobook. Among many accolades, in 2018 she was selected to be named on the Gender Justice Legacy Wall at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

Cynthia’s profile
‘Twelve Feminist Lessons of War’ (UK, US, Australia)

Episode timeline

Intro
Learning from Ukrainian feminists (01:38-10:18)
The multiple roles women are expected to play during war (10:18-15:52)
How even insurgent movements can foster post-war patriarchy (15:52-16:57)
The insidiousness of ‘returning to normal’ (16:57-17:32)
The return of the Taliban and the MAGA movement (17:32-19:25)
Why women’s wars are not men’s wars (19:25-28:43)
How masculinity and femininity are used to justify war (28:43-36:53)
Break
Putin’s strategies to recruit Russian men to fight (37:05-43:15)
Nurturing feminist curiosity (43:15-48:45)
The surge in militarisation across the world (48:45-56:21)
Why we need to look beyond the big leaders (56:21-01:02:33)
How Cynthia became the feminist she is today (01:02:33-01:05:45)
What men can do to support struggles against militarism (01:05:45-01:06:33)
Conclusion (01:06:42)

More info

Women’s Perspectives in Lviv
Marta Chumalo
Nimo's War, Emma's War: Making Feminist Sense of the Iraq War, by Cynthia
Putin’s payments to Russian soldiers, New York Times
The Big Push: Exposing and Challenging the Persistence of Patriarchy, by Cynthia
Seriously! Investigating Crashes and Crises as If Women Mattered, by Cynthia

Music 'Now is time' courtesy of Chaps' Choir and Dom Stichbury.

Addressing the Gendered Harms of AI and the Tech Industry - Prof Clare McGlynn

Wed, 06 Aug 2025 06:00:00 +0000

How are artificial intelligence and other technologies exacerbating misogyny and undermining women’s rights and safety? What are the emerging forms of violence against women and girls being facilitated by AI, such as deepfakes and nudify apps? What is driving so many men to view and create such material, and how is it shaping their sexual attitudes and behaviours? What actions are needed to address these harms, and by whom? For many years, Prof Clare McGlynn has been at the forefront of efforts to tackle the devastating impacts of online violence against women and to establish stronger forms of regulation. Central to her work on sexual violence are the perspectives of victims and survivors, particularly their understandings of what justice means to them.

In this episode, we explore her approach to these issues and some of the challenges involved, including the masculinist dynamics of the highly profitable tech and porn companies, and obstacles in attempting to regulate the transformation of these industries in recent years.

Clare also talks about recent aspects of her influential advocacy work. For example, she provided legal expertise to the successful campaign to persuade the UK Government to adopt a law criminalising the creation and solicitation of sexually explicit ‘deepfakes’. We explore too her work to reduce the easy and growing availability, and adverse impacts, of extreme and abusive pornography (including ‘strangulation porn’ and ‘incest porn’). She outlines her involvement in the campaign to tackle the harms of strangulation in mainstream pornography.

We conclude by discussing with Clare what led her to focus increasingly on online and tech-facilitated harms in her work, and how her sense of responsibility and justice sustains her in continuing to research such distressing issues.

Clare is a Professor of Law at Durham University, with particular expertise in the legal regulation of pornography, sexual violence and online abuse, especially image-based sexual abuse (i.e. taking, creating, and sharing intimate images without consent). In 2020, she was appointed an Honorary KC (Kings Counsel) in recognition of her exceptional work within the legal profession.

Clare’s website: https://www.claremcglynn.com
Durham University profile: https://www.durham.ac.uk/staff/clare-mcglynn/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clare-mcglynn-32b898238/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claremcglynn_/

Episode timeline

Introduction
How AI is deepening gender inequality (02:34-04:21)
Emerging AI-driven forms of violence against women (04:21-06:08)
The masculinist dynamics of the tech industry (06:08-08:52)
Why attempts to regulate Big Tech have been so lacklustre (08:52-11:31)
The new UK law Clare helped to introduce criminalising ‘deepfake’ images (11:31-16:44)
Why the criminal law can be a useful tool for feminist campaigners (16:44-19:34)
Why debates about ‘carceral feminism’ should not be reduced to either/or (19:34-24:23)
Victim-survivors’ wide-ranging perceptions of justice (24:23-26:27)
Break
What is driving so many men to engage in image-based sexual abuse (26:35-29:56)
Why the online world is not simply a reflection of wider society (29:56-31:35)
The role of pornography and how it’s shifted over time, e.g. ‘incest porn’ (31:35-36:55)
The personal impacts of doing this research (36:55-38:25)
Is porn simply giving people what they want? (38:25-40:46)
How porn influences our attitudes, behaviours, and relationships (40:46-44:11)
The mainstreaming of strangulation in sex (44:11-48:04)
Talking to young people (48:04-52:05)
What sustains Clare to keep doing this work (52:05-54:24)
Conclusion (55:15-01:02:27)

More info

New ‘engaging men’ briefing paper co-authored by Stephen: https://www.endviolenceagainstwomen.org.uk/new-how-to-engage-men-in-ending-vawg/
‘The New Age of Sexism’ by Laura Bates: https://www.simonandschuster.co.uk/books/The-New-Age-of-Sexism/Laura-Bates/9781471190483
End Violence Against Women Coalition: https://evaw.org.uk
#NotYourPorn: https://notyourporn.com
Sally Rees, NASUWT union: https://news.sky.com/story/upskirted-teacher-says-women-being-targeted-by-misogynistic-attitudes-in-classroom-13351789
Clare’s research on ‘kaleidoscopic justice’:
https://doi.org/10.1177/0964663918761200
And restorative justice: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6478.2012.00579.x
‘Breathless’ campaign: https://www.breathlesscampaign.com
‘No One Wants to See Your D*ck’, by Jess Davies: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/apr/30/i-dont-date-at-all-now-one-womans-journey-into-the-darkest-corners-of-the-manosphere
‘The Crimes of Digital Capitalism’, by Aitor Jiménez: https://nyupress.org/9781479821693/the-crimes-of-digital-capitalism/

Is Masculinity Worth Saving? And How is Radical Feminism Relevant to Men? - Dr Finn Mackay

Thu, 12 Jun 2025 06:30:00 +0000

Society is obsessed with masculinity, and constantly discussing how it's 'in crisis'. But how helpful are these debates? Can masculinity be reshaped as 'positive' or 'healthy' - and should that be our focus? In a challenging new paper – 'Positive humanity, when? Is masculinity worth saving?' – Dr Finn Mackay argues that policy aimed at saving men and alleviating their suffering does not address men's humanity, but is erroneously focused on 'saving' masculinity. Instead, Finn believes we should aspire to be positive, healthy people and equal human beings, without needing to have our identities as men reinforced. Rather than recycling tired biological essentialism, Finn concludes "it is time for men and women to start acting like we really believe we are not separate spheres, but on the same planet, with the same needs for love and care, the same need to matter to our communities, the same need for life". Finn advocates for a radical feminist analysis, arguing that it offers positive solutions to the problems all of us face - including men and boys.

The episode discusses Finn's 2021 book 'Female Masculinities and the Gender Wars: The Politics of Sex'. Based on research they conducted on lesbian and queer masculinities in the UK, they explore the challenges and obstacles facing those who do not fit into strict boxes of sex and gender. This is particularly topical given the recent ruling by the UK Supreme Court that the terms "woman" and "sex" in the Equality Act 2010 refer only to "biological women" and "biological sex". Decrying the widespread scapegoating and demonising of trans people, Finn argues they have become easy targets for regressive gender conservatism.

Finn ends by talking movingly about their personal journey from growing up in rural Scotland, to living at women's peace camps outside military bases, and the impact that feminism – especially radical feminism – has had on their life.

Finn is a senior lecturer in Sociology at the University of the West of England, and they have a long history of feminist research and activism. Prior to academia, Finn was involved in education and youth work on issues including domestic violence prevention and anti-bullying. In 2004, they founded the London Feminist Network, and revived the tradition of London Reclaim the Night. Their previous book 'Radical Feminism: Feminist Activism in Movement' (2015) set out a pioneering feminist manifesto analysing the reasons for women’s oppression and what feminist activism must do to counter it.

Finn's personal website: https://www.drfinnmackay.co.uk
UWE profile: https://people.uwe.ac.uk/Person/FinnMackay
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/finnfox.bsky.social
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finn-mackay-87a593345/
‘Positive humanity, when?’ paper: https://doi.org/10.1080/09589236.2025.2502679
‘Radical Feminism’ book: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137363589
‘Female Masculinities’ book: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/female-masculinities-and-the-gender-wars-9781350466623/

Episode timeline

Intro
Current debates about masculinity (02:02-03:56)
Is 'positive masculinity' the answer? (03:56-06:12)
Why masculinity is crisis (06:12-08:59)
Reinforcing gender dualisms through segregation (08:59-13:12)
Boys starting school later (13:12-15:48)
The allure of patriarchal norms in times of crisis (15:48-18:46)
Why radical feminism offers hope to boys and men (18:46-22:45)
What men can do to support radical feminism (22:45-25:40)
Break
How to define radical feminism and essentialism (25:56-33:21)
Finn's research on lesbian and queer masculinities (33:21-37:09)
Simultaneously identifying with and critiquing masculinity (37:09-41:57)
The UK supreme court decision on 'biological women' (41:57-45:50)
Trans panic and the gender equality backlash (45:50-49:49)
Reconciling the divides over trans rights (49:49-55:55)
Finn's personal feminist journey (55:55-01:02:20)
Conclusion [Learning from radical feminism; How can men deal feminist divisions?; Patriarchy is the problem; Continuity and crisis; Men who supported the peace camps; Dismantling essentialism] (01:02:28-01:08:00)

More info

John Stoltenberg: https://johnstoltenberg.medium.com/
UK Dads' Strike: https://www.theguardian.com/money/2025/jun/11/dad-strikes-in-london-and-edinburgh-demand-better-paternity-leave
Susan Brownmiller obituary: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/jun/03/susan-brownmiller-obituary
UK Supreme Court ruling: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/apr/16/critics-of-trans-rights-win-uk-supreme-court-case-over-definition-of-woman
'What does the UK Supreme Court’s gender ruling mean for trans men?': https://theconversation.com/what-does-the-uk-supreme-courts-gender-ruling-mean-for-trans-men-254868
Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenham_Common_Women%27s_Peace_Camp
'The origins and history of Reclaim the Night': https://mancunion.com/2022/03/20/the-origins-and-history-of-reclaim-the-night/

'Patriarchy Inc.': Gender Equality at Work - Prof Cordelia Fine

Thu, 15 May 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Why do men still benefit from higher pay, status, and power at work? What is the ideological and cultural underpinning that sustains the gendered division of labour? What are the harmful effects of workplace inequality on poverty, health, family life and women’s status? These are some of the key issues that Professor Cordelia Fine addresses in her witty and insightful new book ‘Patriarchy Inc.: What We Get Wrong About Gender Equality and Why Men Still Win at Work’, which is listed as one of the non-fiction books to read this year by the UK Financial Times.

In our discussion, Cordelia draws on a wealth of evidence to explain how ‘Patriarchy Inc.’ operates, and how progress in dismantling unequal gender arrangements is stymied by two false visions: the ‘Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (DEI)’ approach, and the ‘Different but Equal’ perspective. Instead, she argues for a set of commonsense reforms which would benefit everyone. These include reorientating societies and workplaces around the assumption that most workers will have caring responsibilities; setting aside definitions of job ‘fit’ and success that exclude women and other marginalised groups; and addressing how the gender system is embedded in childhood.

We also explore some of the themes from her earlier book, Testosterone Rex, which won the Royal Society Science Book Prize. The book challenges the powerful myth that men and women have evolved fundamentally different natures, and that testosterone is responsible for ‘hard-wiring’ male brains to, for example, take risks, compete, and be violent. We conclude by discussing her motivations and influences as a writer, and the role of humour in her work.

Cordelia is Professor in the History and Philosophy of Science at the University of Melbourne. She was awarded the prestigious 2018 Edinburgh Medal for her work challenging gender bias in science, and was recently named as a living legend by The Australian newspaper.

Buy the book: https://atlantic-books.co.uk/book/patriarchy-inc/ (UK) https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/books/9781838953355 (Aus)
Cordelia’s website: https://www.cordelia-fine.com
Her University of Melbourne profile: https://findanexpert.unimelb.edu.au/profile/126041-cordelia-fine
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cordelia-fine-240773250/

Episode timeline

Intro
Why Cordelia wanted to write ‘Patriarchy Inc.’ (03:49-08:01)
Why she takes issue with the ‘Different but Equal’ perspective (08:01-15:30)
Why the ‘DEI’ approach is also insufficient (15:30-27:06)
What her ‘Patriarchy Inc.’ approach adds (27:06-33:42)
How we can foster genuine equality in the workplace and society (33:42-42:41)
Break
‘Testosterone Rex’ and why men’s violence can’t be reduced to biology (42:52-50:55)
Fatherhood and why Patriarchy Inc. doesn't work for any of us (50:55-52:12)
The use of humour in writing (52:12-55:38)
What led Cordelia into researching the science of sex and gender (55:38-01:00:13)
Conclusion [The nuances of DEI, Progress being non-linear, The role of trade unions, Capitalism and fatherhood, Valuing care] (01:00:22-01:06:49)

On ‘Adolescence’, and Every Man’s Role in Ending Violence Against Women - Jackson Katz

Wed, 16 Apr 2025 05:30:00 +0000

Discussions about masculinity and violence against women have exploded into the spotlight, not least because of the widely-watched Netflix drama ‘Adolescence’. More and more men are asking: Why is ending this violence an issue for me? What can I do to be part of the solution? How can I overcome the barriers holding me back from taking action, such as feelings of defensiveness? These are some of the pressing questions leading anti-violence educator and scholar-activist Dr Jackson Katz addresses in his timely new book, 'Every Man: Why Violence Against Women is a Men’s Issue, and How You Can Make a Difference'.

In this episode, Jackson sets out the case for men’s involvement, and essential tools to help us contribute to preventing violence against women: from how to respond when a friend or colleague expresses misogynistic views, to changing the culture among our peers, to developing positive leadership among men on this issue.

We also discuss ‘Adolescence’ and its impact on, and implications for, parents, teachers, police officers and other key figures and institutions in young men’s (and women’s) lives.

We conclude by revisiting the political situation in the US, and how men are responding to the backward-looking narratives coming from figures like President Trump and Vice-President JD Vance about what ‘real men’ should be like.

Jackson is an American educator, speaker and writer internationally renowned for his groundbreaking work on issues of gender, race, and violence. His TEDx Talk 'Violence against women - it's a men's issue' has been watched 5.5 million+ times. He co-founded the pioneering gender violence prevention programme, Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP), which was the first large-scale prevention initiative in sports culture and all branches of the US military, and has been rolled out in schools across the US and parts of the UK.

Jackson’s book ‘Every Man’ is now available in the UK through Penguin, and will be published in the US by Bloomsbury in Sept 2025: https://www.penguin.com.au/books/every-man-9780241672662

Find out more about Jackson’s work: https://www.jacksonkatz.com
His writing for Ms Magazine: https://msmagazine.com/author/jkatz/
Follow him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackson-katz-ph-d-b7785b3/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jacksontkatz
Watch his TEDx Talk, ‘Violence against women – It’s a men's issue’: https://youtu.be/KTvSfeCRxe8

Episode timeline:

Introduction
Jackson’s views on ‘Adolescence’ and its impact (02:26-06:53)
Showing the series in schools (06:53-10:11)
Why Jackson wrote ‘Every Man’, and the difficulties of getting a book on this topic published (10:11-14:52)
Why men might respond defensively, and how to move past that (14:52-20:52)
The positive impacts of feminism on Jackson’s own life (20:52-27:29)
Break
The bystander approach and what it looks in practice (27:36-35:26)
Its use in settings such as the military, and a different kind of leadership (35:26-43:52)
Masculinity in the Trump 2.0 presidency, and signs of resistance (43:52-53:47)
Why men need to face our fears of being ‘unmanned’ (53:47-56:54)
Conclusion [The lessons of ‘Adolescence’; The responsibility we all have; Addressing it in schools] (57:02-01:06:30)

More info:

Gareth Southgate’s Dimblebly Lecture: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/mar/19/gareth-southgate-rails-against-callous-toxic-influencers-in-dimbleby-lecture
Michael Kaufman – The triad of men’s violence: https://michaelkaufman.com/articles-2/
Terry Real – ‘I don’t want to talk about it’: https://terryreal.com/books/
Sandy Ruxton – ‘Masculinity, intimacy, and mourning: A father’s memoir of his son killed in action in world War II’: https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy4020059
Mentors in Violence Prevention: https://mvpstrat.com
Jackson Katz – ‘Bystander Training as Leadership Training’: https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801217753322
Young Men’s Research Initiative: https://youngmenresearchinitiative.substack.com

Getting to the Roots of Men's Violence in Australia - Tarang Chawla

Wed, 19 Mar 2025 05:45:00 +0000

Tarang Chawla knows firsthand the devastating impacts of men’s violence, and the ripple effects it sends through families and communities – including on other boys and men. This is what led him to set up Not One More Niki, in memory of his younger sister Nikita who was murdered by her partner in 2015. Tarang is one of Australia’s most well-known and outspoken male advocates against gender-based violence. He talks to us about where he thinks Australian society needs to go from here in its efforts to end men’s violence against women, after a year in which a series of terrible murders brought this onto the agenda in a way not seen before.

We also discuss the position of gender equality and masculinity in the upcoming Australian federal election, including on issues such as ‘law and order’; coming to terms with racism and colonialism in Australia and the UK; and why understanding boys’ and men’s experiences of race and class can help us to reach out to them more meaningfully.

Tarang is an award-winning speaker, writer, advocate, and recovering lawyer. Among other things, he is a Commissioner at the Victorian Multicultural Commission, and a sessional academic at Monash University and the University of Melbourne. He also wrote, produced and hosted the first two series of the acclaimed podcast There's No Place Like Home.

Tarang’s website: https://tarangchawla.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tarangchawla
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tarangchawla/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tarangchawlaonline
Not One More Niki: https://www.instagram.com/notonemoreniki
There’s No Place Like Home: https://www.futurewomen.com/theresnoplacelikehome/

Episode timeline

Intro and acknowledgement of country
Tarang’s journey into working to end men’s violence against women (03:17-06:28)
Media portrayals of men who use violence (06:28-10:49)
Talking about the ripple effects of men’s violence (10:49-14:04)
The obstacles of masculine expectations (14:04-16:15)
Men’s experiences of child sexual abuse (16:15-21:30)
Being a spokesperson on these issues as a man (21:30-27:42)
Break
The impact of recent high-profile murders of Australian women (27:53-32:17)
Debates about prevention work in Australia (32:17-36:35)
Masculinity in the upcoming Australian election (36:35-39:09)
Discourses about being ‘tough on crime’ (39:09-43:00)
The pushback against equity and diversity initiatives (43:00-46:06)
Racism in Australia (46:06-49:12)
Understanding men and boys’ own experiences of marginalisation (49:12-54:43)
Conclusion [Addressing sexism and racism simultaneously; Punitive responses to crime; Coming to the terms with British colonialism] (56:06-01:02:09)

More info

“Earlier this month, it was announced that former AFL player Ben Cousins will join the Seven Network’s commentary team” https://www.smh.com.au/national/ben-cousins-new-tv-job-is-offensive-to-women-20250314-p5ljni.html
“Locking up young people might make you feel safer but it doesn’t work, now or in the long term” https://theconversation.com/locking-up-young-people-might-make-you-feel-safer-but-it-doesnt-work-now-or-in-the-long-term-237742
“Who is the new leader of the Liberal party Peter Dutton?” https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/who-is-the-new-leader-of-the-liberal-party-peter-dutton/vwj0p6nyy
“Voice referendum normalised racism towards Indigenous Australians, report finds” https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/mar/06/voice-referendum-normalised-racism-towards-indigenous-australians-report-finds

Thank you to Dom Stichbury and Chaps Choir for providing our new music with their song 'Now is time' https://www.facebook.com/ChapsChoir/

Confronting Backlash - Aleks Dimitrijevic

Wed, 19 Feb 2025 05:30:00 +0000

The backlash against gender equality, or what its advocates describe with terms such as 'gender ideology' and 'wokeism', is reaching an ever-rising crescendo in Europe and countries across the globe. It poses a major threat to the hard-won achievements of the feminist movement. But what are the forces pushing the 'anti-gender movement' – and how should we respond to it? How is it manifesting itself differently in different countries, and how are politicians exploiting it? How is it seeking to antagonise men's insecurities, whilst offering few solutions to the problems they face? And what can organisations working with boys and men, and each of us as individuals, do in this critical moment? Expert Aleks Dimitrijevic provides us with vital insights.

Aleks is the co-founder and president of Men Against Violence in Malta, and a member of the Steering Committee of MenEngage Europe. He talks to us about how Malta was until recently the only country in the EU to completely outlaw abortion, how activists are continuing to struggle to lift the draconian restrictions against it, and the personal challenges he and his family have faced for campaigning in this area.

Men Against Violence: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100068193336893
Men 4 Dem project: https://www.men4dem.eu/
MenEngage Europe: https://menengage.org/region/europe/

Thank you to Dom Stichbury and Chaps Choir for our new podcast music, with their song 'Now is time' https://www.facebook.com/ChapsChoir/

Episode timeline

Introduction
Gender (in)equality in Malta (02:12-05:17)
The struggle to lift Malta’s abortion ban (05:17-08:01)
Religious obstacles (08:01-10:39)
Personal challenges Aleks and his family have faced (10:39-15:04)
What is backlash? (15:04-17:05)
Key issues for the 'anti-gender' movement (17:05-20:17)
Resistance to preventing violence against women (20:17-26:13)
The weaponisation of men’s issues (26:13-29:08)
The 'men’s rights' movement (29:08-38:15)
Break
Right-wing populism and the mainstreaming of the 'anti-gender' movement (38:18-44:53)
What people working with boys and men can do about it (44:53-48:27)
Who is funding the backlash (48:27-51:36)
Communicating in a language men and boys understand (51:36-55:47)
Conclusion [Connections with climate denial; Struggles on the left; Parallels with the 1930s; Majority opinion; Building the next generation of activists] (55:47-01:02:24)

More info

‘‘Women are treated like walking incubators’: Malta’s fight for abortion’ https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jun/19/the-fight-for-abortion-in-malta
‘Malta to allow abortion but only when woman’s life is at risk’ https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/28/malta-to-allow-abortion-but-only-when-womans-life-is-at-risk
ILGA – “For the seventh year in a row, Malta continues to occupy the number one spot on the Rainbow Europe Map, with a score of 92%” https://www.ilga-europe.org/report/rainbow-europe-2022/
Women’s Rights Foundation https://www.wrf.org.mt
Susan Faludi, ‘Backlash’ https://susanfaludi.com/backlash.html
Susan Faludi, ‘Stiffed’ https://susanfaludi.com/stiffed.html
Agnieszka Graff and Elżbieta Korolczuk, ‘Anti-Gender Politics in the Populist Moment’ https://www.routledge.com/Anti-Gender-Politics-in-the-Populist-Moment/Graff-Korolczuk/p/book/9780367679507
European Parliamentary Forum https://www.epfweb.org

Masculinity and Caring for Nature...and Reviewing Past Episodes - with Dr Cassie Pedersen

Tue, 21 Jan 2025 05:30:00 +0000

Masculinity is playing a significant yet under-discussed role in harms against animals and the environment. From hunting, to meat-eating, to driving fast cars, to burning fossil fuels, ‘man’s’ domination of nature is closely connected to gender inequality and masculine norms. In this 50th episode special, we discuss with Dr Cassie Pedersen why we urgently need to break down stereotypes suggesting that it is ‘feminine’ to care for nature, and help boys and men to embrace our interdependence with the world around us. We ask: Do environmental and animal activism challenge gender norms? What can each of us do in our own everyday lives? And how is ecofeminism relevant to men and boys? This is based on a new paper by Cassie and Stephen in the Journal of Criminology, ‘From men's violence to an ethic of care: Ecofeminist contributions to green criminology’.

Then, in part two, with Cassie’s help, we review the first 50 episodes of Now and Men. What have been our highlights so far? What directions should the podcast take in the future? And how do we face up to the increasingly authoritarian and destructive times we are living in? Join us in reflecting on the personal and political issues the podcast has explored over the last 3+ years, and what it has taught us about masculinity and allyship today.

Dr Cassie Pedersen is a Lecturer in Criminology and Criminal Justice at Federation University (Australia). Her background is in philosophy, with her PhD being on the theory of trauma, and her current work focuses predominantly on green criminology and harms against non-human animals.

Read the paper: https://doi.org/10.1177/26338076241293145
A recent piece by Stephen and Cassie, ‘It’s time to recognise the role masculinity is playing in the climate crisis’: https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/its-time-to-recognise-the-role-masculinity-is-playing-in-the-climate-crisis
Cassie’s profile: https://federation.edu.au/institutes-and-schools/ieac/staff-profiles/staf-profiles/cassie-pedersen
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassie-pedersen-a30406153/

Episode timeline

Introduction
Men’s violence and environmental destruction (01:46-05:01)
Green criminology and ecofeminism explained (05:01-07:28)
The relationship between masculinity and violence against animals (07:28-10:47)
Why an ethic of care offers an alternative (10:47-14:16)
The impact of ecofeminism on Cassie and Stephen (14:16-19:51)
Broadening what we mean by activism (19:51-25:19)
The gendered dynamics of environmentalism (25:19-31:52)
Break
Standout episodes of Now and Men (31:57-36:56)
The most significant issues we have and should cover (36:56-44:28)
Bizarre and unusual podcast experiences (44:28-48:40)
Gender, podcasting, and allyship (48:40-52:26)
Episodes we’ve particularly enjoyed (52:26-54:07)
What we’ve learned (54:07-56:51)
Inspiring figures of 2024, and messages to take away (56:51-01:02:59)
End

More info

Petra Kelly: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petra_Kelly
Carol Adams: https://caroljadams.com
Liz Kelly: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liz_Kelly
‘Hottest year on record sent planet past 1.5C of heating for first time in 2024’: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jan/10/world-temperature-in-2024-exceeded-15c-for-first-time
‘World’s richest use up their fair share of 2025 carbon budget in 10 days’: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/jan/10/worlds-richest-use-up-their-fair-share-of-2025-carbon-budget-in-10-days
Rupert Read: https://rupertread.net
Climate Majority Project: https://climatemajorityproject.com
Raewyn Connell, ‘A whole new world: Remaking masculinity in the context of the environmental movement’: https://doi.org/10.1177/089124390004004003
Jimmy Carter Ted Talk: https://youtu.be/wfW3aZCFfLA?feature=shared
Jackson Katz, ‘Jimmy Carter was one of the world’s leading anti-sexist men’: https://jacksonkatz.substack.com/p/jimmy-carter-was-one-of-the-worlds
‘Nine apologises for using digitally altered image of Animal Justice Party MP Georgie Purcell’: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-01-30/victorian-mp-georgie-purcell-altered-image/103403664

Men and Community Choirs: Finding a Voice - Dom Stichbury

Mon, 23 Dec 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Why have male voice community choirs become more popular in the UK and beyond in recent years? How are they playing with norms of masculinity? Why is it that choirs often struggle to recruit men? What impact can they have on men’s lives and wellbeing? How are they helping men to connect and find community? And can they help us to build gender equality? In our Christmas Special for 2024, we explore these issues and more with Dom Stichbury.

Dom is a choir director, singer, songwriter, arranger, and group singing advocate. He’s the founder and artistic director of London-based groups Chaps Choir and Bellow Fellows, one half of vocal duo Ben and Dom (who do shows and run workshops around the UK), and a member of Oaken (a quartet of singers and choir leaders). He also performs with the Australian-based Spooky Men's Chorale.

The episode features recordings of three Chaps Choir’s performances:

‘Alilo’: https://soundcloud.com/chapschoir/sets/chaps-choir-live-union-chapel
‘Now is time’: https://open.spotify.com/track/3eVsnZrmVwM0asAJOxwCub
‘Drop of shanty’: https://open.spotify.com/track/0GB0HIzocneuONyhxehdIw?si=c0fb1d6bc2bd4344

Find out more about Dom’s work:

Episode timeline:

‘Alilo’ + Intro (00:00-02:27)
The story of Chaps Choir and Bellow Fellows (02:27-04:32)
The wider phenomena of male voice community choirs (04:32-06:01)
International examples and subverting masculinity (06:01-07:24)
Recruiting men (07:24-09:52)
How the groups have shifted (09:52-11:54)
The benefits of being part of a choir (11:54-16:25)
Becoming more attuned with our bodies (16:25-18:00)
Differences between mixed and men’s groups (18:00-20:04)
Making groups inclusive (20:04-22:53)
Encouraging people to sing together in settings like prisons (22:53-25:13)
Why men are less likely to join choirs (25:13-29:00)
Football chanting (29:00-31:14)
Expressing emotion and vulnerability (31:14-35:52)
‘Now is time’ (32:34-36:52)
The potential for choirs to promote change (36:52-39:42)
Which groups of men (don’t) take part (39:42-44:25)
Bringing a diverse group together (44:25-46:15)
Forging friendships and community (46:15-48:15)
Singing during Covid-19 (48:15-50:39)
How Dom started singing (50:39-53:40)
‘Drop of shanty’ (53:17-55:05)
Conclusion (54:32-01:01:25)

More info:

The Best Sing Since Sliced Bread: https://www.bestsingsince.co.uk
Huutajat: https://www.huutajat.org/en/
Research by Emily Falconer - ‘In harmony or out of tune: Affective and emotional geographies of all-male choirs in London, UK’: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emospa.2022.100925
Singing in the Shed: https://www.singingintheshed.co.uk
Philip Read: https://www.philipread.net/
Blokefest: https://www.blokefest.net
Manchoir: http://manchoir.co.uk
‘True colours’, Manchoir: https://youtu.be/8tioUZghMQY
‘Will you still love me tomorrow’, Bellow Fellows: https://youtu.be/qgRuVkmwXrI
Find a choir: https://www.naturalvoice.net
'Glorious Rabble', Extinction Rebellion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1Qmiyn68Es

'Mankeeping', Men’s Friendships, and Women's Emotion Work - Dr Angelica Ferrara

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 05:00:00 +0000

What do we know about men’s friendships, and why have their social networks declined in the past 30 years? Why do so many find it hard to cultivate emotionally supportive friendships with each other? Why is it that men are more at risk of loneliness and social isolation than women? What are the impacts of this, both for men themselves and the women they are close to? And what can we do about it?

In this episode, Dr Angelica Ferrara discusses these issues and more, drawing upon her recent article (with Dylan Vergara) ‘Theorizing mankeeping: The male friendship recession and women’s associated labour as a structural component of gender inequality’. The authors argue that fewer close relationships between men may cause some to rely heavily on relationships with women, especially romantic relationships, for emotional support. This may increase the emotion work women do to support men, through a phenomenon Angelica and Dylan label as ‘mankeeping’ - which can in turn contribute to gender inequity.

Angelica is a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford University’s Clayman Institute for Gender Research, and a visiting fellow at the London School of Economics. She is trained as a developmental and social psychologist, and her work seeks to understand how gender ideologies shape behaviour and relationships. She’s currently working on a book called ‘Men Without Men’, about boys’ and men’s friendships throughout history and across cultures.

Angelica’s profile: https://gender.stanford.edu/people/angelica-puzio-ferrara
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelica-puzio-ferrara-phd-3231b6211/
Twitter: https://x.com/angeliferrara
Read the paper: https://doi.org/10.1037/men0000494
On the media coverage it has received: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/angelica-puzio-ferrara-phd-3231b6211_mankeeping-slides-activity-7265003061960445952-U6l7/

Episode timeline

Introduction
The male friendship recession (02:32-04:39)
Differences among men (04:39-07:36)
Why friendships are so important (07:36-10:33)
The impact of masculine norms on men’s friendships (10:33-14:03)
Changes with ageing and retirement (14:03-19:18)
Why men’s social settings sometimes don’t help (19:18-21:18)
How mankeeping works (21:18-25:16)
Its impacts on women (25:16-27:30)
Why boys have just as much capacity for relationships (27:30-32:08)
Break
How society needs to change (32:12-37:06)
Creating spaces for men to connect (37:06-39:56)
Men on their own (39:56-41:29)
What individual men can do (41:29-46:03)
Why we need to support others (46:03-48:29)
The significance of touch (48:29-50:38)
What led Angelica to this research (50:38-54:25)
Conclusion [Personal struggles with conforming to masculine norms and building close friendships with men; The need to reach out; Fears of rejection; Totalitarianism and a sense of abandonment; Far-right exploitation of men's isolation] (54:25-01:03:57)

More info

Harvard Study of Adult Development: https://www.adultdevelopmentstudy.org
Carolyn J. Rosenthal, ‘Kinkeeping in the familial division of labor’: https://doi.org/10.2307/352340
Niobe Way, ‘Deep Secrets’: https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674072428
Judy Chu, ‘When Boys Become Boys’: https://nyupress.org/9780814764800/when-boys-become-boys/
Niobe Way et al, ‘“It might be nice to be a girl... Then you wouldn't have to be emotionless”: Boys' resistance to norms of masculinity during adolescence’: https://doi.org/10.1037/a0037262
Hannah Arendt, ‘The Origins of Totalitarianism’: https://www.penguin.com.au/books/the-origins-of-totalitarianism-9780241316757

The Presidential Election, Reproductive Rights, and a 'New Masculinity' in the US? - Rob Okun

Thu, 17 Oct 2024 06:00:00 +0000

With the US presidential election fast approaching, and the unexpected entry of Kamala Harris into the race, gender issues are central to the debate. Polls suggest women are more likely to vote Democrat, and men – including young men – more likely to vote Republican. A particular focus of both campaigns is on seeking to win men over, drawing upon different cultural narratives of masculinity. How is the Trump/Vance campaign drawing on masculinist and misogynistic discourses to appeal to those men who feel marginalised and resentful of women’s gains? How are the Harris/Walz campaign seeking to promote a ‘new masculinity’, where men can be both steady and strong, tender and vulnerable?

In this episode, we explore with Rob Okun how this contemporary contest reflects shifting notions of masculinity over the past 50 years in the US. In particular, we discuss reproductive rights after the Roe vs Wade protection of the right to abortion was overturned by the Supreme Court in 2022, and the ways in which increasing numbers of men are acting in support of women’s right to choose.

We also talk with Rob about his longstanding involvement in the US profeminist men’s movement, and how becoming a father was a key factor in his own journey to activism and engagement. Rob is perhaps best known for being the editor and publisher from 1996 to 2023 of Voice Male magazine, covering topics including men’s violence, fatherhood, men’s health, and LGBTQIA+ issues, both in the US and internationally. He is also the editor of an excellent book, ‘Voice Male: The Untold Story of the Profeminist Men’s Movement’. He is a former executive director of the Men’s Resource Center for Change, which was one of the earliest men’s centers in North America. He continues to speak at colleges and universities around the US, and writes for newspapers and websites such as Ms. Magazine.

Rob’s personal website: https://robokun.net
Voice Male magazine: https://voicemalemagazine.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/voicemalemagazine
Rob’s writing for Ms. Magazine: https://msmagazine.com/author/robokun/
The 'Voice Male' book: https://shop.nextgenmen.ca/products/voice-male-the-untold-story-of-the-pro-feminist-mens-movement-by-rob-a-okun

Episode timeline

Intro
The impact of Hurricane Helene in North Carolina (02:22-07:11)
The potential significance of having a woman of colour as president (07:11-13:08)
The ‘gender split’ in voting patterns (13:08-17:11)
How Trump and Vance have been exploiting some men’s grievances (17:11-24:44)
A ‘new masculinity’ among the Democrats? (24:44-29:58)
Break
Rob’s journey In the US profeminist men’s movement (30:05-40:29)
How Voice Male developed over time (40:29-45:38)
How Rob sees his role in the movement now (45:38-51:18)
What he thinks Americans should do ahead of the election (51:18-54:17)
Conclusion [Comparing with Jackson Katz interview; The Man Card film; ‘Tampon Tim’; Democrat leaders still needing to emphasise their toughness; Trump targeting young men; the US being a centre-left country; The impact of fatherhood; Overlaps in activism] (54:22-01:00:37)

Explainers

Patti Smith - ‘People have the power’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6Wz3i_BYUc
Men4Choice https://www.men4choice.org
White Dudes for Harris https://whitedudesforharris.com
Andrew Yarrow, ‘Man Out’ https://rowman.com/ISBN/9780815732754/Man-Out-Men-on-the-Sidelines-of-American-Life
Peter Thiel https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Thiel
The Electoral College https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Electoral_College
MenEngage Alliance https://menengage.org
Steven Botkin https://www.mergeforequality.org/trainers/
Next Gen Men https://www.nextgenmen.ca
Gloria Steinem https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloria_Steinem
Kamala Harris v Brett Cavanagh https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6g-zycRv8Q
The Man Card documentary https://www.themancardmovie.com
‘Men’s Activism to End Violence Against Women’ https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/mens-activism-to-end-violence-against-women

Making Sense of Parenthood, Caregiving, and Gender - Prof Tina Miller

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 06:30:00 +0000

Despite the growth of discourses around ‘involved fatherhood’ and ‘work-family balance’, parenting remains highly challenging and inequitable, with expectations of parents intensifying and much of the load continuing to fall on mothers. This is despite men demonstrating in a variety of settings their capacity to engage in caregiving just as effectively as women. So what can we can do to make it easier for men to take up care work in its different forms, and to support parents with raising children and building gender equity in the home?

Prof Tina Miller discusses over two decades of research she has conducted on family life with parents, including a recent study on the experiences of Syrian refugee fathers in the UK and Sweden. This provides a very different picture of the struggles faced by refugees from the negative portrayals that habitually dominate media narratives.

Also, Now and Men now has a Facebook page! Follow us at https://www.facebook.com/nowandmen

Tina is a Professor of Sociology at Oxford Brookes University, UK. She has been an expert advisor to the World Health Organisation, thinktanks and political parties in the UK and EU.

Profile: https://www.brookes.ac.uk/profiles/staff/tina-miller
Twitter: https://x.com/proftinamiller
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tina-miller-8784a322/

She has published several books on parenthood with Cambridge University Press.

Motherhood: Contemporary Transitions and Generational Change (2023): https://www.cambridge.org/au/universitypress/subjects/sociology/sociology-gender/motherhood-contemporary-transitions-and-generational-change
Making Sense of Parenthood: Caring, Gender and Family Lives (2017): https://www.cambridge.org/au/universitypress/subjects/sociology/sociology-gender/making-sense-parenthood-caring-gender-and-family-lives
Making Sense of Fatherhood: Gender, Caring and Work (2010): https://www.cambridge.org/au/universitypress/subjects/sociology/sociology-general-interest/making-sense-fatherhood-gender-caring-and-work
Making Sense of Motherhood: A Narrative Approach (2005): https://www.cambridge.org/au/universitypress/subjects/sociology/sociology-general-interest/making-sense-motherhood-narrative-approach

Tina has also authored/presented a series of BBC Radio 4 Analysis programmes.

What's changing about childbirth: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001n2h0
Why do we assume women care?: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001f53p
Modern parenting: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000k2tv

Episode timeline

Introduction
Syrian refugee dads: Representation v reality (02:15-06:33)
How services treat refugee mothers and fathers (06:33-09:53)
Differences in refugee experiences in Sweden/the UK (09:53-12:42)
Syrian dads’ relationships with Western notions of ‘involved’ fatherhood (12:42-15:21)
Tina’s experience of interviewing refugee families (15:21-21:16)
First-time fathers in the UK (21:16-30:24)
Transitions in parenting (30:24-34:19)
Break
The intensification of parenthood (34:25-38:09)
Illusions of work-family balance (38:09-42:40)
How we can get men more involved (42:40-45:26)
Older men’s caregiving (45:26-48:22)
Recruiting more men to the social care sector (48:22-53:10)
The beginnings of Tina’s career in the Solomon Islands and Bangladesh (53:10-56:32)
Conclusion - Class inequities and parenting; Different family types; Ken Loach’s ‘The Old Oak’; Climate change and refugees; The riots and refugee ambivalence about sharing their stories; Shifting the discourse on migration (56:32-01:03:53)

Explainers

Edgar’s Mission: https://edgarsmission.org.au
‘Men and Welfare’ book: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003178811
Damascus Rose Kitchen, Oxford: https://www.damascusrosekitchen.org
‘The Old Oak’ film: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Old_Oak

Gender, the Far-Right, and the Riots in Britain – Dr Elizabeth Pearson

Wed, 04 Sep 2024 06:30:00 +0000

For one turbulent week at the end of July this year, serious rioting broke out across around 20 towns and cities in England and Northern Ireland. Rioters attacked homes and businesses owned by immigrants, and set fire to accommodation housing asylum-seekers. The riots began near Liverpool after the horrific murder of three young girls in a neighbouring town, about which far-right supporters spread false claims online that the perpetrator was a Muslim migrant or asylum-seeker.

Whilst some women were involved, the vast majority of the rioters were men. So how should we understand the place of masculinities and misogyny in these events, and in extreme movements more generally? What should we make of the response of the authorities, focused largely on criminality, arrests, and imprisonment? How significant is the subsequent upsurge in anti-racism rallies across the country, which heavily outnumbered the far-right rioters?

We talk to Dr Elizabeth Pearson about her recent book ‘Extreme Britain: Gender, Masculinity and Radicalisation’, which explores misogyny and masculinities in relation to the far-right (English Defence League, Britain First, and For Britain) and the Islamist group al-Muhajiroun. The book is based on interviews with figures including Anjem Choudary, Tommy Robinson, Jayda Fransen, and Anne Marie Waters. Elizabeth argues that radicalisation is a ‘masculinity project’ for those who get involved in extremism – both for those on the far-right, and those in Islamist groups.

Elizabeth is a Senior Lecturer in Criminology at Royal Holloway, University of London. She is also an Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) for Defence and Security Studies. Prior to academia, she worked as a radio journalist for the BBC.

Profile: https://pure.royalholloway.ac.uk/en/persons/elizabeth-pearson
Twitter: https://x.com/lizzypearson
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-pearson-3572a117/
Elizabeth’s ‘Extreme Britain’ book: https://www.hurstpublishers.com/book/extreme-britain/
She also co-authored ‘Countering Violent Extremism: Making Gender Matter’ (2020): https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-21962-8
Her Conversation piece about the riots: https://theconversation.com/the-hypermasculine-far-right-how-white-nationalists-tell-themselves-they-are-protecting-women-and-children-when-they-riot-236250
Her writing for RUSI: https://rusi.org/people/pearson

Episode timeline

Introduction (00:00-02:37)
Elizabeth’s feelings as she saw the riots unfold (02:37-05:42)
Government and public responses to the riots (05:42-09:30)
Discourses about ‘protecting’ women and girls (09:30-14:41)
Connections between misogyny, domestic abuse, and extremism (14:41-19:06)
Men's responses (19:06-23:55)
Break (23:55)
Why extremist radicalisation is a ‘masculinity project’ (24:00-27:45)
Similarities and differences between the far-right and Islamist extremism (27:45-33:37)
Elizabeth’s experience of conducting her research (33:37-39:40)
Women’s place in the far-right (39:40-49:11)
What got Elizabeth involved in this area of research (49:11-54:12)
Conclusion [The counter-protests; addressing the root causes; links between the mainstream and far-right; exploitation of working-class men; protest masculinity; engaging with people across divides] (54:12-01:02:29)

Explainers

More info at Hope Not Hate: https://hopenothate.org.uk/case-files-hub/
Tommy Robinson: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Robinson
Andrew Tate: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Tate
Nigel Farage: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigel_Farage
Greggs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greggs
Anjem Choudary: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anjem_Choudary
‘Home Grown’ by Joan Smith - https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/joan-smith/home-grown/9781787476066/
Prevent Strategy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CONTEST
UCL ‘Grievance’ research team: https://www.grievance-erc.com
Prof Joel Busher: https://pureportal.coventry.ac.uk/en/persons/joel-busher
English Defence League: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_Defence_League
Britain First: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Britain_First
For Britain: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/For_Britain_Movement
Al-Muhajiroun: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Muhajiroun
Jayda Fransen: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jayda_Fransen
Anne-Marie Waters: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Marie_Waters
Boudica: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boudica
Pegida: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pegida

Politics, Violence, Ageing: Reflections on a Life Working on Men and Masculinities - Prof Jeff Hearn

Wed, 07 Aug 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Professor Jeff Hearn has been engaging in academic, activist, and personal work on men, masculinities, and pro-feminism for over 45 years. So how does he reflect on what he has observed over the course of his career, and in contemporary debates? For instance, what are ‘political masculinities’ and how are they playing out in today’s turbulent political climate? Is it possible to categorise different legal and policy approaches to men and gender equality across Europe? What counts as ‘violence’ and how should we understand the links between different forms? How can memory work help to explain the relationship between masculinity and ageing? These are some of the concepts and issues we explore in this wide-ranging episode, based on Jeff’s rich body of writing and research since the 1970s.

Jeff’s work is well known in the field of critical studies on men and masculinities. He has also worked extensively on organisations, management and work, with special emphasis on gender, sexuality, diversity and intersectionality; and men’s violence to women and children. His wider interests include globalisation and transnationalisations, social theory, and cultural studies. He spent his early career at Bradford University in the UK, rising to became head of department. Since then, he has held various posts internationally, including: Research Professor in Social Sciences, Manchester University, UK; Professor of Gender Studies, Linköping University, Sweden; and currently Professor Emeritus, Management and Organisation, Hanken School of Economics, Finland; Senior Professor, Human Geography, Örebro University, Sweden; and Professor of Sociology, University of Huddersfield, UK. He was also a founder member of ‘Profeministimiehet’, Finland.

Jeff’s work:

Episode timeline:

Introduction (00:00-03:32)
The ‘masculinity contest’ between Biden and Trump (03:32-11:50)
‘Political masculinities’ and recent elections across Europe (11:50-19:38)
Categorising policy approaches to gender equality and men in Europe (19:38-24:51)
‘Violence regimes’ and interconnections between men’s violences (24:51-30:02)
Break (30:02-30:08)
Reflecting on Jeff’s career and the history of critical studies on men and masculinities (30:08-40:11)
Focusing on men’s practices and ‘the hegemony of men’ (40:11-44:13)
The Older Men’s Memory Work Group (44:13-50:43)
Ageing and masculinity (50:43-52:38)
Conclusion (Tap Social in Oxford; 'Strong' vs collective leadership; Older men and power; Violence against women and the 'Nordic paradox'; Ecological violence; Coercive control) (52:38-59:58)

More info:

‘Trump v Biden: A duel of contrasting masculinities’ (2020) https://theconversation.com/trump-v-biden-a-duel-of-contrasting-masculinities-148300
‘Evaluating the concept of political masculinity/ies: A simple idea or a case of too many ideas?’ (2024): https://doi.org/10.1332/25151088Y2023D000000021
‘European Perspectives on Men and Masculinities: National and Transnational Approaches’ (2006): https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230626447
‘Violence regimes: A useful concept for social politics, social analysis, and social theory’ (2022) https://doi.org/10.1007/s11186-022-09474-4
‘The Violences of Men’ (1998): https://doi.org/10.4135/9781446279069
‘From Hegemonic Masculinity to the Hegemony of Men’ (2004): https://doi.org/10.1177/1464700104040813
‘Men’s Stories for a Change: Ageing Men Remember’ (2016): https://doi.org/10.18848/978-1-61229-860-3/CGP
‘Routledge Handbook on Men, Masculinities and Organizations’ (2023): https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003193579
James Messerschmidt: https://usm.maine.edu/directories/people/james-w-messerschmidt/
Niels Spierlings: https://www.ru.nl/en/people/spierings-c
Raewyn Connell – ‘Masculinities’: http://www.raewynconnell.net/p/masculinities_20.html
Kopano Ratele: https://www0.sun.ac.za/psychology/staff/academic-staff/prof-kopano-ratele/
’Men’s Stories for a Change: Ageing Men Remember’ (2016): https://doi.org/10.18848/978-1-61229-860-3/CGP
Frigga Haug: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frigga_Haug
Collective Memory-Work: http://collectivememorywork.net
Tap Social: https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/jul/14/oxford-brewery-helps-cut-reoffending-rates-by-training-jail-leavers-to-make-ale
‘The Myth of the Strong Leader’ (2014): https://www.penguin.com.au/books/the-myth-of-the-strong-leader-9781448156986

Challenging Porn, Championing Boys - Daniel Principe

Wed, 10 Jul 2024 05:30:00 +0000

Why should we all be concerned by the content, production and dissemination of pornography today? What is the impact of the normalisation of porn culture on boys and young men? How can we help them to reject harmful and inequitable sexual behaviours and attitudes, live up to the values they hold, and build healthy, mutualistic relationships?

In this episode, youth advocate and educator Daniel Principe talks frankly about what led him to speak out about pornography, and how he came to engage with boys and young men on these issues. He describes his innovative approach in schools and colleges across Australia, and talks movingly about the positive and thoughtful responses of the boys and young men he encounters. He emphasises the need to support boys through adolescence, to help them to critique the unequal culture they are growing up in, and to champion their fundamental decency and courage.

In Australia, Daniel is a member of the DART Institute (Domestic Abuse Resource and Training Group), an Ambassador for the Women’s Resilience Centre, and an Ambassador for the national campaign Consent Can’t Wait.

Find out more about Daniel’s work: https://www.danielprincipe.com.au
Follow him on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lastoftheromans/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-principe-8b7556ab/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mrdanielprincipe

Episode timeline:

Intro (00:00-01:32)
What led Daniel to start questioning pornography (01:32-06:01)
How and why pornography has become so pervasive (06:01-12:53)
Problems with the content of mainstream porn (12:53-18:39)
Its impacts on men and boys (18:39-24:24)
Damaging consequences for male sexuality (24:24-29:15)
Break (29:15-29:21)
Daniel’s work with boys and young men (29:21-39:18)
What we can do about porn culture, personally and politically (39:18-51:52)
Conclusion (Tensions between challenging and supporting boys; The need for structural change; The narrow, conservative, big business nature of porn; Profiting from cycles of shame; Boys’ capacity to critique; How porn constructs masculinity; Perpetuating the male gaze and the centring of men’s pleasure; ‘The end of masculinity’?) (51:52-59:59)

More info:

Read Daniel’s piece for SBS Insight: https://www.sbs.com.au/news/insight/article/porn-taught-me-to-disrespect-women-from-when-i-was-11-now-i-try-to-tell-kids-whats-real/vbk4p7ggx
Australian Government ‘Consent Can’t Wait’ campaign: https://www.consent.gov.au
Australian eSafety Commissioner report, ‘Being a young man online’ (2024): https://www.esafety.gov.au/research/being-a-young-man-online
Australian Institute of Family Studies report, ‘The effects of pornography on children and young people’ (2017): https://aifs.gov.au/research/research-snapshots/effects-pornography-children-and-young-people
Our Watch report, ‘Pornography, young people and preventing violence against women’ (2020): https://www.ourwatch.org.au/pornography-young-people-and-preventing-violence-against-women
Australian National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032: https://www.dss.gov.au/ending-violence
‘The Man Box 2024’ report: https://jss.org.au/programs/research/the-man-box/
BBC Scotland survey of young British men: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-51967295
Prof Michael Flood: https://www.qut.edu.au/about/our-people/academic-profiles/m.flood
Dr Maree Crabbe: https://itstimewetalked.com/about-us/our-people/
Prof Michael Salter: https://research.unsw.edu.au/people/professor-michael-alan-salter
Dr Fiona Vera-Gray’s new book, ‘Women on Porn’: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/454201/women-on-porn-by-vera-gray-dr-fiona/9781911709435
Her research on the content of mainstream online porn: https://doi.org/10.1093/bjc/azab035
Robert Jensen, ‘Getting Off’: https://robertwjensen.org/books/getting-off/

Inequality and Men’s Health - Prof Derek Griffith

Wed, 12 Jun 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Across the globe, men tend to have a lower life expectancy than women. Although there are still significant challenges facing women’s health, on issues ranging from cancer to suicide, men are faring badly. However, a closer look reveals that this picture varies significantly across different groups of men. Why is that? What role does masculinity play in shaping health inequities among men, and their experience of illnesses like prostate cancer? For Men’s Health Week 2024, we speak to Professor Derek Griffith about why an intersectional approach, which addresses issues such as economic inequality and structural racism, is vital to engaging with men and boys about their health and wellbeing.

Derek is a Founding Co-Director of the Racial Justice Institute and Founder and Director of the Center for Men’s Health Equity at Georgetown University (Washginton, DC, United States), where he is a Professor of Health Management and Policy and Oncology. He also serves as the Chair of Global Action on Men’s Health, a global men’s health advocacy organisation.

Find out more about Derek’s work: https://gufaculty360.georgetown.edu/s/contact/0031Q00002J74ovQAB/derek-griffith

Follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrDMGriffith
Follow him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekmgriffith/
Global Action on Men’s Health: https://gamh.org
Center for Men’s Health Equity, Georgetown University: https://cmhe.georgetown.edu

Episode timeline:

Intro (00:00-01:28)
Men’s Health Week and why it matters (01:28-02:34)
Why an intersectional understanding of men’s wellbeing is needed (02:34-04:45)
How health inequities manifest themselves in the US (04:45-06:01)
The consequences of structural racism (06:01-09:35)
The influence of masculinity on different groups of men (09:35-12:27)
Understanding Black American manhood (12:27-15:10)
Risk-taking (15:10-16:34)
Men’s poor take-up of health services (16:34-19:52)
Making healthcare more accessible (19:52-22:53)
The costs of healthcare in the US (22:53-26:00)
Break (26:00-26:07)
Lack of discussion of men’s mental health in global policies (26:07-28:03)
Men’s vulnerability and looking beyond individual explanations (28:03-30:13)
What policy changes are needed (30:13-32:07)
Masculinity and prostate cancer (32:07-40:10)
Other forms of cancer experienced by men (40:10-42:09)
Discomfort among male doctors (42:09-43:43)
How we can engage with marginalised men and boys about their wellbeing (43:43-48:05)
Fatherhood and (self)care (48:05-51:56)
Conclusion (The structural dynamics of masculinity; The role of social class; ‘Dying of whiteness’; Relationships and women’s positive impact; Prostate cancer) (51:56-59:34)

More info:

Syndemics: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syndemic
Tony Coles - ‘mosaic masculinity’: https://doi.org/10.1177/1440783308092882
Tony Whitehead - Jamaican and African-American men, reputation and respectability: https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.93.6.1050
Steve Robertson - the ‘don’t care, should care’ dichotomy: https://doi.org/10.1177/1363459306061787
Roland Thorpe - the cost of men’s health inequities: https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2014/health-disparities-among-us-african-american-and-hispanic-men-cost-economy-more-than-450-billion-over-four-years
Jonathan Metzl - ‘dying of whiteness’: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jonathan-m-metzl/dying-of-whiteness/9781541644960/?lens=basic-books
Global Action on Men's Health reports on cancer: https://gamh.org/cancer-charter/
And mental health: https://gamh.org/absent-minded/

Men in Politics as Agents of Gender Equitable Change - Dr Ján Michalko (ALiGN)

Wed, 15 May 2024 05:30:00 +0000

Why do most men in politics avoid describing themselves and their politics as ‘feminist’? If they do support gender equality, why do they prefer instead to be called allies, advocates or supporters? What does this mean in practice for what men politicians do to promote women’s rights, and address harmful masculine norms? How are they seen by feminist activists, women politicians and young people? These are vital issues given the power men in politics have to drive (or obstruct) change towards gender equality and preventing violence against women. They are discussed in a report by Dr Ján Michalko for ODI, a global affairs think tank, drawing on case studies by research teams in Colombia, Liberia and Malaysia.

We talk to Ján about the findings from the research, its implications for politicians, international donors, civil society and researchers on how to engage with men in positions of power, and what such men can do to promote the transformation of unequal gender norms, in politics and in wider society.

Ján is a Research Fellow in Gender Equality and Social Inclusion at ODI. His research interests are in gender inequalities, political engagement, masculinities, feminist foreign policy, and youth. His work includes supporting the digital ALiGN platform at ODI, which brings together global gender norms research and lessons for transformative change: https://www.alignplatform.org

Follow Ján on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ján-michalko-phd-54719251
Twitter: https://x.com/MichalkoJan
Follow ALiGN on Twitter: https://x.com/ALIGN_Gender
ODI website: https://odi.org/en/

Read the full research series, including the cross-country analysis and in-depth country reports: https://www.alignplatform.org/research-series-men-politics-agents-gender-equitable-change

Episode timeline:

Intro (00:00-02:20)
Why ALiGN wanted to research men in politics (02:20-05:35)
The political context in Colombia, Liberia & Malaysia (05:35-08:53)
Challenges of comparing across contexts (08:53-10:35)
Interviewing men in politics (10:35-14:02)
The reluctance of men politicians to take on the label ‘feminist’ (14:02-17:19)
Actions speak louder than words (17:19-18:54)
The risk of falls from grace (18:54-19:53)
Factors shaping men politicians' engagement with gender equality (19:53-23:59)
Differences across political parties (23:59-26:23)
The electoral cycle (26:23-28:40)
Break (28:40-28:46)
Focus groups with students & activists about their views on men politicians (28:46-32:44)
Anti-feminist backlash (32:44-35:55)
Barriers & enablers to progress for gender equality politics (35:55-38:15)
What actions men in politics can take (38:15-40:17)
The influence they have on wider society (40:17-42:08)
Their reluctance to reflect on masculinity (42:08-46:29)
Ján’s own story of how he got involved in this work (46:29-51:20)
Conclusion (Interactions with MPs Tony Benn & Peter Jackson; Men politicians’ motivations for supporting women’s rights over time; Pushes for the Australian govt to address violence against women; The impact women have on men; The risk of the political discourse moving backwards) (51:20-59:18)

Explainers:

George Weah ‘Declares himself 'Liberia's Feminist-In-Chief' - https://www.sheroesforum.com/d/5/38/982/Pres.-Weah-Declares-Himself-'Liberia's-Feminist-In-Chief';-Recommits-To-Women's-Cause
‘Will Gustavo Petro live up to his promises to Colombia’s women?’:https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/6/21/will-gustavo-petro-live-up-to-his-promises-to-colombias-women
Malaysia’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah, called for a feminist foreign policy in 2020: https://www.nst.com.my/opinion/columnists/2022/09/827413/feminist-foreign-policy-about-inclusiveness-decision-making
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (former president of Liberia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellen_Johnson_Sirleaf
Rainbow Murray & Elin Bjarnegård, ‘Bringing men & masculinities into political science’ - https://doi.org/10.1332/251510823X16920325768482

Conflict, Peace-Building and Hope: Taking Boys Seriously in Northern Ireland - Dr Ken Harland

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Dr Ken Harland has been involved in youth work practice and research with boys and young men in Northern Ireland for the past 35 years. During that time, he has witnessed a transition from a culture in which violence and conflict was normalised, to one of peace-building and hope. But how were ‘The Troubles’ shaped by gender inequality? What impact did and does the conflict have on young men growing up, and on ideas of masculinity? How is it possible to reach disadvantaged boys and young men and help them find their voice in this context? And are there lessons for elsewhere from the political transformation of Northern Ireland towards peace?

After being a community youth worker for 17 years, in 1996 Ken joined Ulster University and was co-founder and co-director of the ‘Centre for Young Men’s Studies’ there from 2005-2016. Since then he’s worked independently as a consultant, trainer, lecturer and researcher in youth and youth-related issues, and also works part-time as a Research Fellow and Consultant with Ulster University's longitudinal research initiative ‘Taking Boys Seriously’. In this episode, Ken talks movingly about his personal story, linking his early work experiences in the shipyards, to finding his passion in education, his relationship with his dad, and being a grandparent.

Follow Ken on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ken-harland-26b237b5/
Read more of his research: https://pure.ulster.ac.uk/en/persons/ken-harland
Check out his book, ‘Boys, Young Men and Violence: Masculinities, Education and Practice’ (2015): https://link.springer.com/book/10.1057/9781137297358 and recent journal articles...
‘Taking Boys Seriously: A participatory action research initiative demonstrating the transformative potential of relational education’ (2024): https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01425692.2024.2315121
‘Embedding masculinities within a gender conscious relational pedagogy to transform education with boys experiencing compounded educational disadvantage’ (2024): https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14681366.2024.2301726

We cover the following topics:

Ken’s experience of living through The Troubles (01:14-05:22)
The place of gender in conversations about transition away from conflict (05:22-08:45)
How men were expected to be ‘defenders’ and ‘protectors’ (08:45-11:52)
The dominance of the ‘cult of the hardman’ (11:52-15:34)
Similarities and differences in masculine pressures in different contexts (15:34-18:36)
The impact of the police and army as well as paramilitary organisations (18:36-20:17)
Hopes for a better future despite the challenges (20:17-25:07)
The experiences of women during The Troubles (25:07-26:59)
What led Ken to work on masculinity issues (26:59-35:30)
The establishment of the Centre for Young Men’s Studies in Belfast (35:30-40:59)
Making sense of how masculinity influences young men's (and our own) lives (40:59-46:46)
Taking Boys Seriously: The need for gender conscious relational pedagogy (46:46-48:33)
Practical lessons from Ken’s work with boys (48:33-53:04)
Conclusion: Moving away from a culture of violence; Challenging the notion that boys don’t talk; Social change in Northern Ireland, including around Brexit and abortion; Connections with previous episodes, including #39 with Dr Jocelyn Smith Lee on gun violence in the US (53:04-01:00:45)

Further info:

About ‘The Troubles’ - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Troubles
‘Tartan army: how Belfast gang culture morphed into paramilitarism’ (Irish Times) - https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/tartan-army-how-belfast-gang-culture-morphed-into-paramilitarism-1.2737322
‘Belfast has more peace walls now than 25 years ago – removing them will be a complex challenge’ (The Conversation) - https://theconversation.com/belfast-has-more-peace-walls-now-than-25-years-ago-removing-them-will-be-a-complex-challenge-203975
Northern Ireland Executive Office draft Strategic Framework to End Violence Against Women and Girls - https://www.executiveoffice-ni.gov.uk/topics/ending-violence-against-women-and-girls

Trauma, Loss, and Healing from Gun Violence for Young Black Men in the US – Dr Jocelyn Smith Lee

Wed, 20 Mar 2024 05:30:00 +0000

The heavy toll of gun violence in the United States is having traumatising impacts on innumerable Black men and boys, many of whom will know one or more family members or friends who have died as a result. Yet there is widespread reluctance to consider the idea of vulnerability and victimisation among these young survivors.

In this episode, we hear from Dr Jocelyn Smith Lee, who has herself experienced personal loss from the violence, about her work in the cities of Greensboro and Baltimore to challenge dehumanising narratives of Black men and boys and ensure that their voices and experiences are central to efforts to tackle the violence. We also learn about community initiatives helping these men and boys and their families heal from trauma and loss.

Jocelyn is an Assistant Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. She is also the founder and director of the Centering Black Voices research lab, and the founder and project lead for the visual storytelling campaign ‘In All Ways Human’, which was originally funded by a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Grand Challenge Award.

Find out more about Jocelyn’s research: https://www.uncg.edu/employees/jocelyn-smith-lee/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jocelyn-r-smith-lee-ph-d-577b6015/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrJocelynSmith
In All Ways Human campaign: https://inallwayshuman.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inallwayshuman
Twitter: https://twitter.com/InAllWaysHuman
Centering Black Voices research lab: https://centeringblackvoices.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CenterBLKVoices

Topics we cover:

The prevalence of gun violence in the US and its unequal impacts (01:12-04:26)
The social contexts for Jocelyn’s research in Baltimore, MD and Greensboro, NC (04:26-08:47)
The impacts of trauma and loss from gun violence on Black men and boys (08:47-14:57)
(Limited) possibilities for turning points and perceived life expectancy (14:57-19:38)
Why we are so reluctant to talk about vulnerability and victimisation among Black men (19:38-22:19)
The ‘In All Ways Human’ campaign that Jocelyn has created (22:19-28:30)
Telling a different, positive story, through the life-course (28:30-30:49)
The effects that police violence has on Black men and boys and their families (30:49-37:08)
Services which play a more positive role in their lives (37:08-42:02)
How we can help Black men and boys to heal from this trauma and loss (42:02-46:29)
The impacts of the violence on women and girls (46:29-48:50)
The disproportionate responsibility placed on Black women (48:50-50:22)
The recent reduction in homicides in Baltimore, and achieving political change (50:22-55:05)
Conclusion (55:05-01:01:14), including: The shocking scale of the homicides, from a young age; How masculine norms can obstruct men from talking about fear and grief; Links with episode 38 with Nate Eisenstadt on non-punitive approaches; The power of Jocelyn's message of hope.

More info:

The killing of Freddie Gray after his arrest by Baltimore Police Department (The Guardian): https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jul/20/freddie-gray-death-haunts-man-filmed-video-baltimore
'Baltimore celebrates historic 20% drop in homicides even as gun violence remains high’ (Associated Press): https://apnews.com/article/baltimore-homicides-decrease-2023-d88000d65d3916d1fbbe6352becd8881
‘How Baltimore invented neighborhood segregation’ (Vox): https://www.vox.com/2015/5/10/8578077/baltimore-segregation-pietila

Embracing 'Discomfort' in Work with Men - Dr Nate Eisenstadt

Tue, 20 Feb 2024 05:00:00 +0000

What is 'discomfort', and how can we engage effectively with men when they display it in conversations about masculinity, gender equality and violence? How can connecting with discomfort help to change harmful attitudes and behaviours? What are the risks and challenges in embracing discomfort, and how can they be dealt with? These issues are at the core of our discussion with Dr Nate Eisenstadt, drawing on his extensive experience of facilitating and researching bystander intervention and domestic violence perpetrator programmes in the UK.

We also explore the training room as a microcosm of wider society, and how discomfort and fear are often weaponised by public figures to promote damaging, polarising responses to complex real-world problems. Drawing on his earlier research on contemporary anarchist practices, Nate reflects on the challenges and potential of community-based transformative (as opposed to punitive) approaches to ending gender-based violence.

Nate is a Senior Research Associate at the University of Bristol in the UK, in their Medical School’s Domestic Violence and Health Group, and the Co-Director of Kindling Interventions, which delivers bystander leadership programmes for violence prevention, equality and diversity.

Find out more about Nate’s research: https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/en/persons/nathan-eisenstadt
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/nathan-eisenstadt/
Kindling Interventions: https://kindling-interventions.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KindlingInterv
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/kindling-interventions/

We cover the following topics:

The 'bystander leadership' training that Nate is delivering (01:31-05:16)
Why he and Dr Rachel Fenton set up Kindling Interventions (05:16-09:03)
Advantages and challenges with the bystander intervention approach (09:03-16:27)
Different ways in which 'discomfort' can surface in this work (16:27-22:39)
How to respond to discomfort when engaging with men and boys (22:39-30:57)
The role of skilled facilitation (30:57-33:39)
Facilitators’ own experiences of discomfort (33:39-37:24)
How discomfort links to the backlash against feminism in wider society (37:24-42:46)
Vital ingredients for impactful work with men who've perpetrated abuse (42:46-48:55)
How this research links with Nate’s work on anarchist and anti-oppressive organising (48:55-52:06)
Key tenets of anarchism and links with community accountability (52:06-53:58)
Conclusion (53:58-59:54): Overlaps with Jens van Tricht's episode; the value of uncomfortable conversations; shifts in work with men who've used violence; the resonance of Nate's work with wider political polarisation; and anarchism and mutual aid.

Masculinity, Meat-Eating, and Vegan Men - Dr Kadri Aavik Revisited

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 03:45:00 +0000

Now and Men is taking a break until February 2024, so in the meantime, to coincide with Veganuary and a new campaign called 'Vegan and Thriving' from the UK Vegan Society, we revisit episode 29 from June 2023, where we discussed masculinity and veganism with Dr Kadri Aavik.

Between 2016 and 2020, the number of vegans in Europe has doubled from 1.3 million to 2.6 million. More and more people are questioning the consumption of meat and dairy for ethical, environmental and health reasons. The majority are women, but a significant number of men are vegans, too – and over 30% of Europeans say they are consciously eating less meat. In this episode, we explore men’s experiences and motivations for becoming vegan and how they deal with masculine expectations about food. Veganism and vegetarianism are sometimes portrayed as ‘unmanly’ and effeminate, whilst meat-eating is often associated with strength and virility. The meat and dairy industries are also major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions – might the climate crisis and increasing recognition of the harms caused by these industries be leading to changes in the behaviours of some men?

Dr Kadri Aavik is an Associate Professor of Gender Studies at Tallinn University, Estonia. Kadri has written a book about her research in Estonia and Finland, ‘Contesting Anthropocentric Masculinities through Veganism: Lived Experiences of Vegan Men’ (Palgrave Macmillan, 2023). Research for the book was conducted as part of the project ‘Climate Sustainability in the Kitchen: Everyday Food Cultures in Transition’ (University of Helsinki, 2018-2022), funded by the Kone Foundation: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/projects/climate-sustainability-kitchen

Buy Kadri’s book: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-19507-5
Find out more about her research: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kadri-Aavik and https://www.etis.ee/CV/Kadri_Aavik/eng

Topics covered:

Why food and eating are gendered (02:38-05:02)
How to define veganism (05:02-06:49)
Kadri’s research with vegan men in Estonia and Finland (06:49-09:41)
Men’s motivations for becoming vegan (09:41-11:20)
Kadri’s personal relationship with veganism (11:20-13:33)
The connections between meat-eating and masculinity (13:33-15:02)
Gendered differences in diets (15:02-17:14)
Men’s engagement in household cooking (17:14-21:32)
Navigating family relationships as a vegan (21:32-23:32)
The influence of patriarchy on human relations with other animals (23:32-27:42)
What this has to do with climate change and ‘Anthropocentric masculinities’ (27:42-32:10)
Barriers to veganism for men (32:10-37:33)
The different contexts of veganism in Estonia and Finland (37:33-41:39)
The extent to which veganism is a ‘privileged’ phenomenon (41:39-44:35)
Achieving institutional as well as individual change (44:35-48:48)
Veganism as a form of activism, not just a ‘lifestyle choice’ (48:48-50:45)
Impacts of veganism on men’s relationships (50:45-54:12)

More info:

Veganuary (where people try being vegan throughout January) - https://veganuary.com
The UK Vegan Society - https://www.vegansociety.com
Their 'Vegan and Thriving' campaign - https://www.vegansociety.com/get-involved/campaigns/vegan-thriving
Routledge Handbook on Men, Masculinities and Organizations - https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/edit/10.4324/9781003193579/routledge-handbook-men-masculinities-organizations-jeff-hearn-kadri-aavik-david-collinson-anika-thym
Carol Adams: The Sexual Politics of Meat - https://caroljadams.com/spom-the-book
'Suella Braverman blames 'Guardian-reading, tofu-eating wokerati' for disruptive protests' (Guardian, 18th Oct 2022) - https://www.theguardian.com/politics/video/2022/oct/18/suella-braverman-blames-guardian-reading-tofu-eating-wokerati-for-disruptive-protests-video

Masculinity and Memoir - Blake Morrison on Family Life

Wed, 13 Dec 2023 05:30:00 +0000

Blake Morrison’s award-winning, bestselling memoir ‘And When Did You Last See Your Father?’ is an honest and intimate portrait of family life, father-son relations, and the impact of bereavement. Since it came out in 1993, Blake has continued to revisit his family’s past through ‘Things My Mother Never Told Me’ (2002), and is ‘still working things out’ in his poignant recent book ‘Two Sisters’, about his sister Gill and half-sister Josie, published earlier this year.

In this episode, Blake reads extracts from ‘Two Sisters’ and ‘And When Did You Last See Your Father?’, and we explore with him key themes in his work, including: sibling relationships; family secrets; men controlling women; male violence; transitions in father-son relations; youthful rebellion, and becoming a man. We also discuss issues around men, emotion and grief, the genres of ‘sib-lit’ and ‘dad-lit’, and the impact of feminism on Blake’s own development and writing.

As well as a memoirist, Blake is a poet, novelist, and journalist. His published work includes the poetry collections ‘Dark Glasses’, ‘The Ballad of the Yorkshire Ripper’ and ‘Shingle Street’, and most recently, ‘Skin and Blister’, and four novels, including ‘The Last Weekend’ and ‘The Executor’. He’s a regular literary critic for the Guardian newspaper and the London Review of Books, and is Professor Emeritus of creative and life writing at Goldsmiths University. Born in Yorkshire, he has lived in South London for many years.

Find out more about Blake: https://blakemorrison.net
More info about ‘Two Sisters’: https://www.boroughpress.co.uk/products/two-sisters-blake-morrison-9780008510527/
‘Things My Mother Never Told Me’ https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/357294/things-my-mother-never-told-me-by-morrison-blake/9780099440727
‘And When Did You Last See Your Father?’: https://granta.com/products/and-when-did-you-last-see-your-father/
Blake’s ‘Top 10 books about fathers and sons’: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/nov/02/top-10-books-about-fathers-and-sons-blake-morrison-and-when-did-you-last-see-your-father

We cover the following in this episode:

Reading from 'Two Sisters' (01:24-06:42)
Blake’s motivations for writing the book (06:42-08:14)
Why brothers don’t write about sisters (08:14-10:12)
Examples of ‘sib-lit’ (10:12-11:47)
The impact of alcoholism on Gill (11:47-13:46)
Alcoholism and gender (13:46-16:04)
Male violence and the efforts of adults to hide it (16:04-19:18)
The significance of women in Blake’s life (19:18-21:02)
The supposed stability of 1950s/60s family life (21:02-22:22)
Reading from ‘And When Did you Last See Your Father?' (22:22-26:09)
Why the book was so successful (26:09-27:47)
The extent to which Blake’s portrayal of fatherhood was culturally specific (27:47-30:21)
‘Dad-lit’ and other authors to read on father-son relations (30:21-32:28)
Shifts in Blake’s relationship with his dad and how he saw him (32:28-34:41)
Blake’s capacity for writing honestly and sensitively about emotion (34:41-37:21)
Where Blake himself fits into his memoirs (37:21-39:39)
Gender and dealing with grief (39:39-41:25)
Why Blake kept his Dad's pacemaker (41:25-43:46)
What led him to write ‘Things My Mother Never Told Me’ (43:46-46:43)
The impact feminism had on Blake and his writing (46:43-50:32)
The influence that poetry and literature can have on young men (50:32-55:03)

Why Feminism is Good for Men - Jens van Tricht (Emancipator)

Wed, 15 Nov 2023 05:30:00 +0000

How can men contribute to gender equality and justice in the world? What can they learn from feminist approaches? How can they break free from the limiting expectations of what a 'real' man should be, and become more fully human? In this episode, we talk to Jens van Tricht, the author of an inspiring book 'Why Feminism is Good for Men', now translated from the original Dutch into English by Liz Waters - and launched with this episode of Now and Men! The book offers an accessible and hopeful perspective on men and masculinities, connecting the personal and the societal, the abstract and the concrete, the theoretical and the practical, the serious and the playful.

Jens describes himself as an 'idealist, anarchist, and feminist'. In our discussion, we explore Jens's own journey and how these influences have played out: from childhood questions about gender norms, to teenage angst and punk music, the Amsterdam squatter and anarchist movements - and finding direction through Women's Studies, personal growth and feminist practice.

Drawing on these experiences, ten years ago Jens founded Emancipator, an organisation which promotes gender equality and social justice by engaging with men and boys about issues including work and care, violence and safety, sexuality and sexual diversity. Jens is also a board member of the MenEngage Global Alliance.

You can find out more about Jens’s work at https://www.jensvantricht.nl and Emancipator at https://www.emancipator.nl/en/emancipator-2/
'Why Feminism is Good for Men' can be purchased in English on Amazon, and is also available in Arabic, Dutch, German and Korean: https://www.amazon.com/Why-Feminism-Good-Jens-Tricht-ebook/dp/B0C579ZY14/ref=sr_1_3
Follow Jens on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jensvantricht
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jensvantricht/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jens.vantricht.7

We cover the following topics in this episode:

What led Jens to write the book and why feminism is good for men (01:04-05:49)
Jens's experiences as a child and how these influenced his thinking about gender (05:49-13:31)
His 'journey' into feminism and formative experiences as a teenager, e.g. punk music and the Dutch squatter movement (13:31-20:20)
Being a man in Women's Studies (20:20-25:47)
What 'men’s liberation'/'emancipation' means (25:47-31:38)
Seeing oneself as a human being rather than a man (31:38-35:06)
Holding oneself to account as a man (35:06-39:18)
Emancipator's approach to working with men (39:18-42:34)
Why the process is so important (42:34-48:42)
Why relationships, sexuality and intimacy are such vulnerable and insecure domains for men (48:42-51:10)
The context of The Netherlands and its upcoming election in debates about masculinity and gender equality (51:10-55:25)
Wrapping up (55:25-59:58)

The Art and Craft of Masculinity - Richard Bliss

Wed, 25 Oct 2023 05:30:00 +0000

Richard Bliss is an artist and tailor based in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in the North-East of England. He currently has an exhibition of work on display at Bishop Auckland Town Hall in County Durham called ‘The Quest for the Perfect Shirt’. We recorded this episode in person with Richard in one of the galleries, and thank the curator, Debbie Connell, for making this possible.

In our discussion Richard explains how he, as a gay man, seeks to understand masculinity and men’s lives through the process of making shirts, often in public places or community settings, reflecting and responding to conversations with individuals or groups. He guides us through the exhibition, telling us about some of the pieces, the ideas behind them, what they say about contemporary expectations of manhood, how they relate to his own experiences, and the contradictions of a man practising textile art and tailoring and using it as a way to engage with other men.

You can visit ‘The Quest for the Perfect Shirt’ at Bishop Auckland Town Hall until Thursday 30th November 2023: https://bishopaucklandtownhall.org.uk/gallery/current-exhibition/
You can view photos of many of the shirts from the exhibition on Richard’s Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/richard_bliss_newcastle_/
Or his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/richardne001
There is more information about Richard and his work here: https://www.richardbliss.co.uk

A second exhibition by Richard, ‘Workers’ Thread’, celebrates the contribution of working-class women and men to the history of County Durham, and is also on display in the Town Hall. We refer briefly to this at the end our conversation, and to the ‘The Mural of the Durham Miners’ Gala’ by Norman Cornish, which occupies a whole wall there.

We discuss the following topics in this episode:

Why the exhibition is named ‘The Quest for the Perfect Shirt’ (01:25-06:38)
Richard’s methods and why he uses shirts as his medium (06:38-11:04)
Tailoring in public space and talking to people about masculinity (11:04-13:42)
What Richard has learnt from the process (13:42-17:18)
Favourite pieces from the exhibition – e.g. working with homeless men (17:18-24:14)
The complexities of identity: being gay and being Jewish (24:14-30:50)
Men and power at work (e.g. former Liberal Party politician David Steel) (30:50-36:53)
How Richard got into textile art and tailoring (36:53-39:45)
Ties and gendered power in clothing (39:45-42:41)
Art and its social impact (e.g. Grayson Perry, author of ‘The Descent of Man’, 2021) (42:41-45:04)
The influence of Durham and North East England, e.g. its working-class, trade union, mining history (45:04-50:01)
Why the exhibition is in Bishop Auckland (50:01-55:28)
Thinking about the future, and Richard’s next project on older gay men (55:28-59:55)

For more information about the unique collection of galleries and gardens that make up the still developing ‘Auckland Project’ in Bishop Auckland including the Spanish Gallery, the Faith Museum, the Castle, the Mining Art Gallery, and the Deer Park, see: https://aucklandproject.org

Angela Saini - Patriarchy and the Roots of Gendered Oppression

Wed, 04 Oct 2023 05:30:00 +0000

What is 'patriarchy' and where do its origins lie? How did it become embedded in societies from prehistory to the present? What part do we all play in maintaining patriarchal structures, and can they be dismantled? These are some of the pressing questions we discuss in this episode with Angela Saini, author of a fascinating new book 'The Patriarchs: How Men Came to Rule' (Harper Collins): https://harpercollins.co.uk/products/the-patriarchs-how-men-came-to-rule-angela-saini?variant=39997855268942

Angela is an award-winning British journalist, currently based in New York. She teaches science writing at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, presents radio and television programmes, and has written for National Geographic, the Financial Times, and Wired. In 2022 she was a Logan Nonfiction Program fellow, and a fellow of the Humboldt Residency Programme in Berlin. 'The Patriarchs' follows on from her earlier books, the critically acclaimed 'Superior: The Return of Race Science' and 'Inferior: How Science Got Women Wrong'.

Website: https://www.angelasaini.co.uk
Instagram: https://instagram.com/angeladsaini/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelasaini/

We cover the following topics in this episode:

Defining 'patriarchy' (01:01-02:32)
'The Patriarchs' as a title (02:32-03:51)
'Patriarchy' as a system (03:51-05:21)
Motivations for writing the book (05:21-06:46)
Animals and 'natural' male domination (06:46-10:32)
Angela's journey exploring gender diversity in how people live (10:32-12:01)
Matrilineal societies and why they are important (12:01-15:07)
European colonialism and the imposition of patriarchal norms (15:07-16:08)
The 1848 Seneca Falls Women's Rights Convention and pre-existing Native American societies (16:08-20:14)
Weighing archaeological, anthropological and ancient DNA evidence – the work of Marija Gimbutas (20:14-27:50)
Colonial and patriarchal justifications for inequality, e.g. in Athens (27:50-33:43)
Rise of the first states: organising around birth rates and defence (33:43-38:37)
Putin's Russia as a model of the patriarchal state (38:37-40:54)
Complexities of women and men supporting or resisting patriarchy (40:54-42:26)
Shifting and reframing ‘patriarchies’ over time, e.g. Afghanistan (42:26-45:37)
Hanging onto a positive vision of a radically different world, e.g. Iran (45:37-47:47)
Explaining social behaviour and social change beyond biology (47:47-50:01)
Angela's current and future projects (50:01-52:55)
Conclusion (52:55-58:43)

References:

Marija Gimbutas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marija_Gimbutas
Ian Hodder: http://www.ian-hodder.com/
Gerda Lerner - ‘The Creation of Patriarchy’: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Creation_of_Patriarchy
James Scott: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_C._Scott
Bob Pease - 'Facing Patriarchy': https://www.bloomsburycollections.com/monograph?docid=b-9781350220027

Reviews of 'The Patriarchs':

Hilario Sáez Méndez - 'We Are All Rubiales': How Should Men Respond to Spain's World Cup Victory?

Wed, 06 Sep 2023 06:30:00 +0000

The Spanish women’s football team have shaken the world – first with their incredible World Cup success, then by bringing into question the sexist culture of soccer, stating #SeAcabó ('It's Over') and striking en masse in protest about their treatment by the football authorities. This was after the President of the Spanish Football Federation, Luis Rubiales, was accused of kissing the striker Jenni Hermoso without her consent on live TV during the final's medal presentation ceremony.

In this special extra episode, we speak to prominent Spanish pro-feminist activist Hilario Sáez Méndez about how men have responded to the #SeAcabó movement, and how we can understand these events in the context of wider debates about gender equality, masculinity and men's violence against women in football and Spanish society. Hilario highlights the emergence of a stronger feminist consciousness in recent years, including:

The #Cuéntalo ('tell it') movement after the horrific 2016 La Manada ('wolf pack') rape case in Pamplona: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/apr/23/wolf-pack-case-spain-feminism-far-right-vox
The women’s strike in 2018 denouncing sexual discrimination, domestic violence and the gender pay gap: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/08/spanish-women-give-up-work-for-a-day-in-first-feminist-strike
The 'solo sí es sí' ('only yes means yes') law passed in 2022: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/aug/25/spain-only-yes-means-yes-sexual-consent-bill-expected-to-become-law
He questions whether the statement by Cadiz's men’s football team - "we are all Jenni" - should in fact be "we are all Rubiales", recognising men's responsibility to address our own sexist behaviour, and that of other men: https://apnews.com/article/sevilla-hermoso-rubiales-kiss-tshirts-73b711b6412c729ec1a320f0f21d60f9

Hilario is a sociologist, the President of the Fundación Iniciativa Social (Social Initiative Foundation), and an active member of Red de Hombres por la Igualdad (Men's Network for Equality) and MenEngage Iberia.

Follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/hilariosaez
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hilario-sáez-12801928/
Read the statement from MenEngage Iberia, expressing their revulsion at the behaviour of Luis Rubiales: https://menengage.org/stories/the-actions-of-the-spanish-football-president-are-unworthy-of-his-position-and-of-the-institution-and-the-sport-he-represents/
MenEngage Iberia: https://twitter.com/MenEngageIberia
MenEngage Alliance: https://menengage.org
Fundación Iniciativa Social: https://fundacioniniciativasocial.es - @fis_tweet
Red de Hombres por la Igualdad: https://redhombresigualdad.org
Book by Sandy, Stephen et al., 'Men's Activism to End Violence Against Women Voices from Spain, Sweden and the UK' (2021): https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/mens-activism-to-end-violence-against-women
Footage from Rubiales's infamous speech: https://www.theguardian.com/football/video/2023/aug/25/luis-rubiales-refuses-to-resign-spanish-fa-president-video
Hilario played a leading role in the men's march in Sevilla against violence against women, which we covered in episode 6: https://now-and-men.captivate.fm/episode/seville-march
Listeners may also be interested in episode 16 with Dr Stacey Pope on building gender equality in football, which was recorded in the run-up to Euro 2022, the Women’s European Championships: https://now-and-men.captivate.fm/episode/stacey-pope
And episode 22 with Dan Guinness, which discusses masculine pressures within professional sport: https://now-and-men.captivate.fm/episode/beyond-equality

We cover the following topics in this episode:

The impact of the women’s team’s success on Spanish society (01:15 – 03:49)
The actions of Luis Rubiales and why this led to major protests (03:49 – 07:48)
How Rubiales’s conduct fits into a wider pattern by the Spanish football authorities (07:48 – 11:43)
What these events in football tell us about masculinity, gender relations and the political context in Spain (11:43 – 15:01)
Differences in women’s football, e.g. less homophobia (15:01 – 16:45)
Why the kiss is part of a much bigger systemic problem (16:45 – 19:52)
Why the #SeAcabó movement is different to #MeToo (19:52 – 26:37)
How different groups of men have responded to #SeAcabó (26:37 – 30:57)
How MenEngage Iberia have been responding to what has happened (30:57 – 34:27)
What Rubiales’s speech shows us about men’s complicity (34:27 – 38:13)
The significance of recent shifts in gender relations, such as Spain’s ‘only yes means yes law’ (38:13 – 43:36)
How hopeful Hilario feels about possibilities for change (43:36 – 47:18)

Dr Lisa Sugiura – Incels and the Manosphere: Realities and Responses

Wed, 30 Aug 2023 06:30:00 +0000

‘The Manosphere’ is a cluster of online groups who oppose feminism and believe that men are the true victims of gender inequality. There has long been backlash towards feminism, but its influence has grown in recent years, facilitated by the internet. Such groups include Men’s Rights and Father’s Rights Activists, Pick Up Artists (who instruct men on how to manipulate women for sex), and Men Going their Own Way (who avoid all relations with women). Incels, or ‘Involuntary Celibates’, have drawn most attention, not least because of a number of mass killings being ascribed to individuals associated with them. So what are Incel communities, why are they a cause of concern, and how should we respond to them? These are some of the issues we explore with expert Dr Lisa Sugiura.

Lisa is a Reader in Cybercrime and Gender in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Portsmouth in the UK. She is the Chair of Hampshire Constabulary's Force Strategic Independent Advisory Group.

In 2021 she wrote a book called ‘The Incel Rebellion: The Rise of the Manosphere and the Virtual War Against Women’. It is available to buy or read open access as an e-book here: https://www.emerald.com/insight/publication/doi/10.1108/9781839822544
Find out more about Lisa’s work: https://www.port.ac.uk/about-us/structure-and-governance/our-people/our-staff/lisa-sugiura
Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/lisa_sugiura
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-sugiura-a5214431/
Lisa has been working with Tooled Up to develop resources for parents and educators: https://www.tooledupeducation.com
She is a Fellow of the Institute for Research on Male Supremacism: https://theirms.org
Read their recommendations for media reporting on Incels: https://theirms.org/forjournalists
In this episode we also discuss an article by Alessia Tranchese and Lisa on ‘How Incels and mainstream pornography speak the same extreme language of misogyny’: https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801221996453
And the book by Laura Bates, ‘Men Who Hate Women’: https://www.simonandschuster.co.uk/books/Men-Who-Hate-Women/Laura-Bates/9781398504653
Lisa also mentioned the work of Prof Rachel Pain on 'everyday terrorism': https://doi.org/10.1177/0309132513512231

We cover the following topics in this episode:

What the Manosphere is and why we should be concerned about it (01:00 - 05:21)
The ideas and terminology used by Incels (05:21 - 08:28)
How women are viewed within Incel communities (08:28 - 09:58)
What led Lisa to carry out research in this area (09:58 - 14:02)
How she went about conducting her research (14:02 - 15:59)
Interviewing men in the Incel community (15:59 - 21:01)
The impact of doing this work on her wellbeing (21:01 - 23:39)
What happens when men leave Incel communities (23:39 - 27:01)
The harms of the Manosphere (27:01 - 29:25)
The threats online misogyny poses to democracy (29:25 - 31:06)
The variety of men involved in Incel communities (31:06 - 33:28)
The damage Incel communities do to men themselves (33:28 - 37:31)
Official responses to the Manosphere and what needs to change (37:31 - 40:26)
The responsibilities of social media companies (40:26 - 42:52)
Possibilities for deradicalising or preventing men from becoming involved in the first place (42:52 - 45:21)
Overlaps in discourses used by Incels and those in pornography (45:21 - 49:07)
How to avoid giving these groups a bigger platform (49:07 - 53:27)

Prof Michael Flood - Engaging Men and Boys: Theory and Evidence

Wed, 02 Aug 2023 06:30:00 +0000

Work with men and boys has been growing rapidly in the last 30 years, especially around the issues of preventing violence and abuse, building gender equality, promoting fatherhood, and health and wellbeing. To what extent is this a positive development? What are some of the opportunities, challenges and problems that engaging men and boys brings? And how can this work be delivered most effectively, to have a serious impact in tackling issues such as gender-based violence? There are few experts around the world better equipped to provide answers to these questions than Prof Michael Flood. He gives an in-depth, critical overview of the ‘engaging men’ field, and discusses his own story of being an anti-sexist activist since the 1980s. He also explains why it’s vital to think about issues like pornography and online misogyny in this work, and gives some pointers for parents in how to address these issues with children, and sons in particular.

Michael is a Professor in the School of Justice at Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia. He has written numerous academic publications on issues including violence against women and violence prevention, men and masculinities, pro-feminist men’s advocacy, male heterosexuality, fathering, and pornography. This includes a book with Palgrave Macmillan in 2019, ‘Engaging Men and Boys in Violence Prevention’. He also runs the website XY Online, which is full of resources on men, masculinities and gender politics.

More info about Michael’s work: https://www.qut.edu.au/about/our-people/academic-profiles/m.flood
Follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MichaelGLFlood
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-flood-5b906713/
Read his book: https://xyonline.net/content/new-book-engaging-men-and-boys-violence-prevention
Check out XY Online: https://xyonline.net
Resources on men’s roles in ending violence against women: https://xyonline.net/content/engaging-men-violence-prevention-key-resources

Read his articles mentioned in the episode:

‘Work with men to end violence against women: A critical stocktake’ (2015) - https://doi.org/10.1080/13691058.2015.1070435
‘Lust, trust and latex: Why young heterosexual men do not use condoms’ (2003) - https://doi.org/10.1080/1369105011000028273

In this episode we cover the following topics:

Why the ‘engaging men’ field has been growing, and why that’s a good thing
Key lessons from research about how to engage with men and boys
Issues of concern in the development of this work
Mistakes which can arise in work by and with men and boys
The tensions of having a public platform as a pro-feminist academic and activist
The usefulness of terms such as ‘toxic’ and ‘healthy’ masculinity
Trends in work with men which should give us optimism
Why it’s important to think about pornography when addressing sexual violence
Talking to young men about pornography and online misogyny
Michael’s PhD research on young men’s heterosexual relations with women
How Michael first got involved in anti-sexist activism, and how he’s been able to maintain his commitment over time

Prof Sanjay Srivastava and Dr Romit Chowdhury - Masculinities and City-Life in India and Beyond

Wed, 05 Jul 2023 06:30:00 +0000

How do different groups of men navigate urban life and enact masculinity in the bustling metropolises of contempory Indian society? In this special 30th episode, marking two years of Now and Men, we speak to Prof Sanjay Srivastava and Dr Romit Chowdhury about the ways in which male power and privilege is both threatened and re-asserted in different city spaces in India and beyond, considering issues such as nationalism, consumerism, violence against women, mobility, and relations between men. We discuss Sanjay's recent book, ‘Masculinity, Consumerism, and the Post-National Indian City: Streets, Neighbourhoods, Home’ (Cambridge University Press, 2022), and Romit's which comes out in August 2023, ‘City of Men: Masculinities and Everyday Morality on Public Transport’ (Rutgers University Press).

Sanjay Srivastava is a British Academy Global Professor in the Department of Anthropology and Sociology at SOAS, University of London, and a Visiting Research Professor at Shiv Nadar University in Delhi. He has published numerous academic books and articles on topics including gender, urban social life, consumerism, middle-class cultures and the relationship between new forms of work and identity.

More info about his work: https://www.soas.ac.uk/about/sanjay-srivastava
Buy his book: https://www.cambridge.org/us/universitypress/subjects/sociology/sociology-gender/masculinity-consumerism-and-post-national-indian-city-streets-neighbourhoods-home
Watch Sanjay discussing his article ‘Thrilling Affects: Sexuality, Masculinity, the City and ‘Indian Traditions’ in the Contemporary Hindi ‘Detective’ Novel’: https://vimeo.com/100405661
Follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sanjays54451327

Romit Chowdhury is a Senior Lecturer in Sociology at Erasmus University College in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. His research interests are in urban studies, masculinity studies, ethnography, and literary theory. Prior to his research on men and transport he has explored masculinities in the contexts of men's rights movements, sexual violence, caregiving, and men doing feminist research and activism in India.

More info about his work: https://www.eur.nl/en/people/romit-chowdhury
Buy his book: https://www.rutgersuniversitypress.org/city-of-men/9781978829503
Watch Romit discussing his award-winning article, 'The social life of transport infrastructures: Masculinities and everyday mobilities in Kolkata': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWK2gbbqfAY
Follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/chowdhury_romit

We cover the following topics in this episode:

Why study masculinity and urban life
Consumerism and the ‘post-national’ city in India, and what it has to do with gender
Harassment and violence towards women in public spaces
Romit’s research with male autorickshaw drivers and taxi drivers in Kolkata
The unique methods Romit used to carry out his research
The role of ‘homosocial trust’ between male transport workers and police officers
Working-class men’s struggles to accomplish ‘breadwinner masculinity’ in the city
The characteristics of ‘Modi-masculinity’ and strongman politics in India
How different groups of men make masculine cultures in Indian cities
How Sanjay got involved in doing research on men, masculinities and cities in the first place
Backlash against work on gender issues

Dr Kadri Aavik - Masculinity, Meat-Eating, and Vegan Men

Wed, 07 Jun 2023 06:30:00 +0000

Between 2016 and 2020, the number of vegans in Europe has doubled from 1.3 million to 2.6 million. More and more people are questioning the consumption of meat and dairy for ethical, environmental and health reasons. The majority of these people are women, but there are a significant number of men who are vegans, too – and over 30% of Europeans say they are consciously eating less meat. In this episode, we explore men’s experiences and motivations for becoming vegan, and how they deal with masculine norms and expectations about food. For instance, veganism and vegetarianism are sometimes portrayed as ‘unmanly’ and effeminate, whilst meat-eating is often associated with strength, virility, and masculinity. The meat and dairy industries are also major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions – might the climate crisis and increasing recognition of the harms caused by these industries be leading to changes in the attitudes and behaviours of some men?

We speak to Dr Kadri Aavik, who is an Associate Professor of Gender Studies at Tallinn University, Estonia. Kadri has written a book about her research in Estonia and Finland on men and veganism, which has been published this year by Palgrave Macmillan: ‘Contesting Anthropocentric Masculinities through Veganism: Lived Experiences of Vegan Men’. Research for the book was conducted as part of the project ‘Climate Sustainability in the Kitchen: Everyday Food Cultures in Transition’ (University of Helsinki, 2018-2022), funded by the Kone Foundation: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/projects/climate-sustainability-kitchen

Buy Kadri’s book: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-19507-5
Find out more about her research: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kadri-Aavik and https://www.etis.ee/CV/Kadri_Aavik/eng

We cover the following topics in this episode:

Why food and eating are gendered (02:38-05:02)
How to define veganism (05:02-06:49)
Kadri’s research with vegan men in Estonia and Finland (06:49-09:41)
Men’s motivations for becoming vegan (09:41-11:20)
Kadri’s own relationship with veganism (11:20-13:33)
The connections between meat-eating and masculinity (13:33-15:02)
Gendered differences in diets (15:02-17:14)
Men’s engagement in household cooking (17:14-21:32)
Navigating family relationships as a vegan (21:32-23:32)
The influence of patriarchy on human relations with other animals (23:32-27:42)
What this has to do with climate change and ‘Anthropocentric masculinities’ (27:42-32:10)
Barriers to veganism for men (32:10-37:33)
The different contexts of veganism in Estonia and Finland (37:33-41:39)
The extent to which veganism is a ‘privileged’ phenomenon (41:39-44:35)
Achieving institutional as well as individual change (44:35-48:48)
Veganism as a form of activism, not just a ‘lifestyle choice’ (48:48-50:45)
Impacts of veganism on men’s relationships (50:45-54:12)

Explainers:

Routledge Handbook on Men, Masculinities and Organizations - https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/edit/10.4324/9781003193579/routledge-handbook-men-masculinities-organizations-jeff-hearn-kadri-aavik-david-collinson-anika-thym
The UK Vegan Society - https://www.vegansociety.com
Carol Adams: The Sexual Politics of Meat - https://caroljadams.com/spom-the-book
‘Suella Braverman blames ‘Guardian-reading, tofu-eating wokerati’ for disruptive protests’ (Guardian, 18th Oct 2022) - https://www.theguardian.com/politics/video/2022/oct/18/suella-braverman-blames-guardian-reading-tofu-eating-wokerati-for-disruptive-protests-video

Prof Jonathan Scourfield - Suicide, Social Work, and Masculinities

Wed, 17 May 2023 06:30:00 +0000

Suicide is a major health and wellbeing issue among men, with the UK suicide rate three times higher for men than women. There are clear links to issues of masculinity here, such as pressures on men to never show ‘weakness’ or emotion, or the idea that it is ‘unmanly’ to struggle with one’s mental health or experience failure. However, the situation is complex. Some groups of men are much more likely to take their own lives than others. The factors at play can vary substantially. And whilst they are less likely to die, women appear to be more likely to attempt to take their own lives and experience suicidal thoughts than men. Professor Jonathan Scourfield talks us through these complexities, and helps us to understand what masculinity has to do with suicide.

Towards the end of our conversation, we also talk about other significant aspects of Jonathan’s work in relation to engaging fathers, child welfare, and social work with men more generally.

For help and support:

In the UK and Ireland, call Samaritans on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie - https://samaritans.org
CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) can be contacted on 0800 58 58 58 from 5pm-midnight - https://thecalmzone.net
The youth charity Papyrus can be contacted on 0800 068 4141 or email pat@papyrus-uk.org - https://papyrus-uk.org
In the US, call/text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline on 988 - https://988lifeline.org
In Australia, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 - https://www.lifeline.org.au
Other international helplines can be found at https://befrienders.org

Jonathan Scourfield is a Professor of Social Work in the School of Social Sciences at the University of Cardiff, Wales. He’s also a Deputy Director of CASCADE, the Children's Social Care Research and Development Centre. He has conducted an extensive body of research over his career on topics including child and family services, working with men, social work education, identity and religion in children, and suicide and self-harm.

More info about Jonathan’s work: https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/people/view/38087-scourfield-jonathan
Follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/j_scourfield
Read his paper, ‘Suicidal Masculinities’, in the journal Sociological Research Online (2005): https://www.socresonline.org.uk/10/2/scourfield.html
He also refers to the influential book he co-wrote with Brid Featherstone and Mark Rivett, ‘Working with Men in Health and Social Care’ (Sage, 2007) - https://uk.sagepub.com/en-gb/eur/working-with-men-in-health-and-social-care/book228342

We cover the following topics in this episode:

How accurate it is so say that men are less inclined to seek help (01:23 - 05:38)
The range of factors which help to explain suicides among men (05:38 - 10:34)
The relevance of feminist theories such as 'hegemonic masculinity' to male suicide, including links with violence and abuse (10:34 - 15:47)
The influence of heteronormative pressures on men, and perceptions about mental illness (15:47 - 18:30)
Understanding differences in suicide rates among men based on age (18:30 - 22:43)
The impact of leaving the workforce on older men (22:43 - 25:03)
The role of poverty and economic/geographical inequalities, and how women’s suicides fit into the picture (25:03 - 28:54)
The preventative role of social networks, and the influence of gendered cultural scripts (28:54 - 34:26)
Pressures faced by families (34:26 - 36:54)
The role of the coroner's process (36:54 - 37:45)
Policy responses to male suicide in the UK, and what more needs to be done (37:45 - 42:15)
Jonathan’s research on engaging fathers in child welfare services (42:15 - 49:26)
Contrasts with the ways in which mothers are seen by social services (49:26 - 50:59)
The impact that feminism has had on Jonathan (50:59 - 54:13)
Recap: Changes in public discourses around men’s mental health, the importance of relationships, the significance of employment to men, prevention efforts, the impact of Covid-19 (54:13 - 01:00:45)

Explainers:

ONS = UK Office for National Statistics
PSHE = Personal, social, health and economic education
‘Lonely at the Top’ by Thomas Joiner (2011) - https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780230341111/lonelyatthetop

Jackson Katz - Democracy, Authoritarianism and Violence: The Politics of Masculinity in the United States

Wed, 26 Apr 2023 06:30:00 +0000

Jackson Katz has long been a major figure in the growing global movement of men working to promote gender equality and prevent gender-based violence. He has also written and broadcast extensively about the central role of masculinity and gender in shaping political debates in the United States. With politics ever more polarised, authoritarianism and political violence – especially towards women – are becoming increasingly normalised, and figures such as Donald Trump and conservative media outlets are playing into patriarchal definitions of manhood and the family to appeal to the public.

Jackson is an educator, author, lecturer, and social theorist. He is the author of ‘The Macho Paradox: Why Some Men Hurt Women and How all Men Can Help’, and ‘Man Enough? Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton and the Politics of Presidential Masculinity’. He has also created a series of educational documentaries including ‘Tough Guise’, ‘The Bystander Moment’ and ‘The Man Card’. In 1993, Jackson co-founded Mentors in Violence Prevention in the United States, a widely influential gender-based violence prevention programme which instigated the ‘bystander’ approach. He also has a PhD in Cultural Studies and Education. Jackson recently founded the online advocacy organisation and guerrilla think tank, ‘Men for Democracy’, as a way to amplify the voices of men who support reproductive justice and democratic governance, and oppose rising authoritarianism and the increase in violence and misogyny in politics.

Find out more about Jackson’s work: https://www.jacksonkatz.com
The ‘Men for Democracy’ campaign: https://menfordemocracy.com
Read Jackson’s commentary pieces at Ms Magazine: https://msmagazine.com/author/jkatz/
Follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jacksontkatz
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jacksontkatz
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackson-katz-ph-d-b7785b3/
Watch his TEDx Talk, ‘Violence against women – It’s a men's issue’, which has received more than 5 million views: https://youtu.be/KTvSfeCRxe8

We discuss the following topics in this episode:

The extent to which men are facing a ‘crisis of masculinity’ in countries like the US today (01:32 - 10:14)
Why Donald Trump appeals to so many people, especially white working-class men (10:14 - 16:29)
How US presidential campaigns have increasingly become the centre stage for debates about masculinity (16:29 - 28:51)
How media such as Fox News have exploited patriarchal gender norms and contributed to political polarisation (28:51 - 34:18)
Increases in threats of political violence, especially towards women, and how men should respond (34:18 - 40:26)
The - often ignored - relationship between masculinity and gun violence in the US (40:26 - 49:49)
What gives Jackson hope and motivation to continue doing this work (49:49 - 58:04)
Why pro-feminists should be more ambitious in countering the seductive appeal of ‘men’s rights’ advocates such as Andrew Tate and Jordan Peterson (58:04 - 01:02:55)

Andrea Simon (End Violence Against Women Coalition) - Tackling Misogyny and Abuse in the Police and Beyond

Wed, 05 Apr 2023 06:30:00 +0000

Responding to serious public concern following the kidnap, rape and murder of Sarah Everard by a serving officer, together with multiple other deeply disturbing incidents, Baroness Casey’s recent independent review of London’s Metropolitan Police has highlighted institutional misogyny, racism and homophobia in the force. The review found serious failings in the Met’s leadership, recruitment, vetting, training, culture and communications, and made widespread recommendations for restoring public trust.

In this episode, we talk to Andrea Simon, Director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition (EVAW), about their response to the ongoing revelations coming out of the Met and Britain’s police forces; what needs to be done to take forward efforts to prevent violence against women and girls in the UK at this critical moment; and the contribution men and boys can make to that.

The End Violence Against Women Coalition is a group of feminist organisations and experts across the UK, working to end violence against women and girls in all its forms. It’s made up of over 135 specialist women’s support services, researchers, activists, survivors and NGOs. Andrea has worked at EVAW since 2017, and before that she campaigned on issues such as child trafficking and modern slavery and spent more than a decade working for Members of Parliament.

Find out more about EVAW: http://evaw.org.uk

Twitter: https://twitter.com/evawuk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/endviolenceagainstwomen/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evawuk/
Follow Andrea on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AndreaSimon48

We cover the following topics in this episode:

The Casey Review of the culture and standards of behaviour within the Metropolitan Police, and responses to it (00:55 - 04:52)
The gendered ways in which police resources are distributed (04:53-07:58)
The extent to which reforming the police is possible (07:58-10:41)
Seeking radical change whilst pushing for action in the here and now (10:41-13:05)
Why prevention work is so important and what more needs to be done (13:05-16:57)
The role of schools in prevention, and EVAW’s #AboutTime campaign (16:57-20:22)
The contribution men and boys can make to ending violence against women (20:22-24:03)
Tensions which can arise when working with men and boys (24:03-25:43)
Shifts Andrea has observed during her time in the violence against women sector (25:43-30:03)
What keeps Andrea motivated and hopeful in doing this work (30:03-32:26)
Why an intersectional, anti-racist approach is so important (32:26-36:20)
The impact of anti-immigration rhetoric on efforts to support victim-survivors (36:20-39:09)
Backlash to gender equality from figures such as Andrew Tate (39:09-42:45)
Tackling online abuse, and the UK’s Online Safety Bill (42:45-44:50)
Bringing about political action (44:50-48:42)
Why a feminist approach is so valuable (48:42-52:02)

Further resources:

EVAW’s #AboutTime campaign: https://www.endviolenceagainstwomen.org.uk/campaign/abouttime/
EVAW’s campaign against online abuse: https://www.endviolenceagainstwomen.org.uk/campaign/online-abuse/
Louise Casey's Report: https://www.met.police.uk/police-forces/metropolitan-police/areas/about-us/about-the-met/bcr/baroness-casey-review/
Anti-Racism in VAWG Working Group: https://www.endingracisminvawg.org
UK Government ‘Enough’ campaign: https://enough.campaign.gov.uk
A piece by Stephen, Sandy and Prof Nicole Westmarland for The Conversation from 2021, ‘Sarah Everard, police culture and the ‘masculinised’ workplaces we can all help change’: https://theconversation.com/sarah-everard-police-culture-and-the-masculinised-workplaces-we-can-all-help-change-169774
The ‘Macpherson Report’ from The Stephen Lawrence Inquiry (1999): https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-stephen-lawrence-inquiry
‘‘We could have saved Sarah,’ says victim of Wayne Couzens’s indecent exposure’ (Guardian, 6th Mar 2023) - https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/mar/06/we-could-have-saved-sarah-says-victim-of-wayne-couzens-indecent-exposure
‘‘Endemic’ sexism in Met police led to undercover deception, inquiry told’ (Guardian, 21st Feb 2023) - https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/feb/21/endemic-sexism-in-met-police-led-to-undercover-deception-inquiry-told
‘David Carrick: Serial rapist Met Police officer in prison at least 30 years’ (BBC, 7th Feb 2023) - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-64540800
‘Sex education review is ‘politically motivated’, say teaching unions’ (Guardian, 8th March 2023) - https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/mar/08/sex-education-review-is-politically-motivated-say-teaching-unions
‘Keir Starmer promises to halve violence against women as part of crime ‘mission’’ (Guardian, 23rd March 2023) - https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/mar/23/keir-starmer-promises-to-halve-violence-against-women-as-part-of-labour-crime-mission
‘Operation Soteria: a new approach to investigating rape’ (Guardian podcast, 24th Oct 2022) - https://www.theguardian.com/news/audio/2022/oct/24/operation-soteria-rape-conviction-rates-podcast

If you have been affected by sexual violence, information and support is available from Rape Crisis: https://rapecrisis.org.uk/get-help/

Contact the UK National Domestic Abuse Helpline: https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/

Dr Katarzyna Wojnicka - Men, Migration and Masculinities in Europe

Tue, 14 Mar 2023 06:30:00 +0000

Some people migrate in search of work or economic opportunities, to join family, or to study. Others to escape war, conflict, persecution, or human rights abuses. Increasingly, people move in response to climate crises and natural disasters. Despite these realities, migration and migrants are often portrayed negatively by the media and politicians, with policy and legislation made more and more restrictive.

Many of these people are men - however, migration is rarely discussed in relation to gender and masculinity. Migrating men are often perceived in purely economic terms, or as a ‘threat’, linked to criminality, sexism, and terrorism. But what do we know about these men’s actual experiences, and how they navigate masculine expectations and power relations? This is what Dr Katarzyna Wojnicka has explored in her research, particularly with a large yet under-discussed group – that of Eastern European men migrating across Europe from countries such as Poland.

Katarzyna is an Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, based in the Department of Sociology and Work Science, and the Centre for European Research. She’s also an Editor in-Chief for NORMA, the International Journal for Masculinity Studies.

Find out more about Katarzyna’s research: https://www.gu.se/en/about/find-staff/katarzynawojnicka and https://katarzynawojnicka.com
Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrKandTheMen
Follow her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katarzyna-wojnicka-787a7072/

In this episode we cover the following topics:

Why men and migration is a topic worth studying
The main pieces of research Katarzyna has conducted in this area, such as her research on ‘transnational bachelors’
The vulnerabilities arising from migration
Why there has been little attention towards Eastern European men in research on migration in Europe
Researching this topic as an ‘insider’
Why Katarzyna left Poland
Why she decided to research men and masculinities
Attacks on women’s and LGBTQ+ rights in Poland
Single male migrants’ constructions of masculinity
The problems with ‘protective masculinity’
What ‘hybrid masculinity’ means in the context of migration
Why a ‘spatial’ approach is vital to understanding masculinities
Improving public policy responses
The war in Ukraine, refugees and gender
Political discourses about migration in the UK

Further reading:

Here is a selection of papers by Katarzyna which we discuss in the episode:

‘Migrant men in the nexus of space and (dis)empowerment’ (NORMA, 2017): https://doi.org/10.1080/18902138.2017.1342061
‘Self-positioning as a man in transnational contexts: constructing and managing hybrid masculinity’ (NORMA, 2017): https://doi.org/10.1080/18902138.2017.1341768
'Research on men, masculinities and migration: past, present and future’ (NORMA, 2019): https://doi.org/10.1080/18902138.2019.1622058
‘Boyz2Men: Male migrants’ attitudes to homosexuality and what age has to do with it’ (Boyhood Studies, 2020): https://doi.org/10.3167/bhs.2020.130205
‘Understanding migrant masculinities through a spatially intersectional lens (Men and Masculinities, 2021)’: https://doi.org/10.1177/1097184X20986224
‘Hegemonic masculinity: Rethinking the concept’ (Connell and Messerschmidt, Gender and Society, 2005): https://doi.org/10.1177/0891243205278639
‘Hybrid masculinities: New directions in the sociology of men and masculinities’ (Bridges and Pascoe, Sociology Compass, 2014): https://doi.org/10.1111/soc4.12134
‘Suella Braverman condemned for suggesting 100 million migrants could come to UK’ (The Independent, 8th March 2023): https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/suella-braverman-asylum-small-boats-inflammatory-b2295776.html

Dr Demet Aslı Çaltekin - Refusing Militarism: Conscientious Objectors and Masculinity in Turkey

Tue, 21 Feb 2023 06:30:00 +0000

War and militarism often play a central role in the construction of dominant, ‘desirable’ ideas about masculinity. So what happens when men refuse to take part in the militarisation of society, and become conscientious objectors? Dr Demet Aslı Çaltekin has researched this with people who have conscientiously objected against compulsory military service in Turkey.

We were planning to interview Demet before the horrific earthquakes in Turkey and Syria took place, and she very kindly agreed to speak to us about the impact and response, amidst the mixture of emotions that many feel at present. Whilst the main focus of media and popular attention is rightly on the disaster and its aftermath, it is also an opportunity to highlight some of the other complex issues at the heart of Turkish society. We therefore talk with her not only about her research on militarism, but also how the feminist movement in Turkey has been creatively campaigning against femicide and violence against women.

Demet is an Assistant Professor in Criminal Law and Criminal Justice in the Law School at Durham University. She has recently written a book called ‘Conscientious Objection in Turkey: A Socio-legal Analysis of the Right to Refuse Military Service’, published by Edinburgh University Press.

Find out more about Demet’s research: https://www.durham.ac.uk/staff/demet-a-caltekin/
Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DemetCaltekin
Order her book, and save 30% with the discount code NEW30: https://edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-conscientious-objection-in-turkey.html
Read her 2022 article, ‘Women’s organisations’ role in (re)constructing the narratives in femicide cases: Şule Çet’s case’: https://doi.org/10.3390/laws11010012

Please consider donating to organisations in Turkey/Syria undertaking relief efforts in response to the earthquakes:

UK Disasters Emergency Committee: https://www.dec.org.uk/appeal/turkey-syria-earthquake-appeal
Turkish Red Crescent: https://www.ifrc.org/article/turkiye-and-syria-earthquakes-ifrc-response-date
INARA – International Network for Aid and Assistance: https://inara.org
White Helmets Syria: https://www.whitehelmets.org/en/

In this episode we cover the following topics:

The impact of the earthquakes
The relief efforts and the national and international response
What military service in Turkey involves
What led Demet to do this research, and think differently about militarisation
The conscientious objectors who took part in her research and their motivations
How Turkish society responds to people who conscientiously object
The right to conscientious objection, and its legal and social consequences
How militarism and nationalism fit into Turkish history
What militarism and refusing to participate in it has to do with masculinity
How and why Turkish women engage in conscientious objection
Parallels with militarism in British society
The value of a socio-legal approach, and working to change the law
The war in Ukraine and refusing to fight
Femicide in Turkey and the feminist movement’s response
Challenges facing women’s civil society organisations in Turkey
The Turkish government’s withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention, and backlash against gender equality

Further reading/listening:

Cynthia Enloe’s 2016 book, ‘Globalization and Militarism: Feminists Make the Link’: https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781442265455/Globalization-and-Militarism-Feminists-Make-the-Link-Second-Edition
Now and Men episode 11 with Prof Paul Higate, ‘Militarism and Military Masculinities: Why Do They Matter?’: https://now-and-men.captivate.fm/episode/paul-higate
Now and Men episode 8 with Prof Bob Pease, ‘Masculinities, Climate Change, and Men’s Relationships with Nature’: https://now-and-men.captivate.fm/episode/climate-change

Prof Lucy Delap - Exploring the History of Feminism and Men’s Engagement with It

Wed, 18 Jan 2023 06:00:00 +0000

What can a historical and global perspective teach us about feminism and gender relations? How have men engaged with women's movements over the course of their history in the UK and beyond? And how have anti-sexist men dealt with the challenging questions feminists raise about our emotional and sexual lives within patriarchy? These are some of the questions Professor Lucy Delap has explored in her fascinating research.

Please note that this conversation features some discussion of sexual violence, in particular between minutes 32 and 39.

Lucy is a Professor in Modern British and Gender History at the University of Cambridge, where she is a Fellow of Murray Edwards College. Her research has principally focused on the history of feminism, and in 2020 she published the book ‘Feminisms: A Global History’. Lucy has also worked extensively in labour history, with a focus on the intersections of gender, class and disability. She helped create the ‘Unbecoming Men’ and ‘The Business of Women’s Words’ oral history collections at the British Library. She and colleagues were awarded the Royal Historical Society Public History Prize in 2018 for their work on child sexual abuse. Find out more about her work here: https://www.hist.cam.ac.uk/people/prof-lucy-delap, and follow her on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/suff66.

In this episode we explore the following topics:

What a historical perspective brings to our understanding of feminism, gender, and masculinities (00:42 - 02:47)
How we can study the history of people’s intimate lives and the ‘private sphere’ (02:47 - 04:21)
What led Lucy to become involved in studying gender, feminist history, and men’s responses to it (04:21 - 09:11)
Lucy’s research on men who became involved in anti-sexist activism in the UK in the wake of the Women’s Liberation Movement of the 1970s/80s (09:11 - 14:21)
Why the nature of men’s pro-feminist political organising has changed over time (14:21 - 18:02)
How and why the ‘men’s movement’ splintered off into different directions (e.g. mythopoetic and ‘men’s rights’ activism) (18:02 - 23:52)
Why issues of emotion, such as guilt and shame, are so important in understanding men’s engagements with feminism (23:52 - 33:45)
Men reflecting on and reconfiguring their ‘sex lives’ and the male gaze in response to feminist activism against sexual violence (33:45 - 43:48)
The value of adopting a global perspective on feminist movements (43:48 - 49:25)
Lucy reads from her book ‘Feminisms’ about the work of Nigerian feminist activist Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti (49:25 - 55:07)

Further reading:

Lucy’s book, ‘Feminisms: A Global History’ (Penguin, 2020) - https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/305361/feminisms-by-delap-lucy/9780141985985
Information about Lucy’s ‘Unbecoming Men’ British Library project - https://www.bl.uk/womens-rights/articles/male-allies and https://www.bl.uk/sisterhood/articles/mens-reponses-to-womens-liberation
Lucy’s article, ‘Rethinking rapes: Men’s sex lives and feminist critiques’ in Contemporary British History (2022) - https://doi.org/10.1080/13619462.2022.2051489
Lucy’s article ‘Feminism, masculinities and emotional politics in the late twentieth century’ in Cultural and Social History (2018) - https://doi.org/10.1080/14780038.2018.1518560
‘30 years of the Child Support Act’ (UK Parliament, 2021) - https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/30-years-of-the-child-support-act/
Berger, J. (1972) Ways of Seeing. London: BBC and Penguin Books.
Butler, J. (2006) Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity. London: Routledge.
Roper, M. (2005) Slipping out of View: Subjectivity and Emotion in Gender History (in History Workshop Journal).
Roper, M. and Tosh, J. (1991) Manful Assertions: Masculinities in Britain since 1800. London: Routledge.
Segal, L. (1990) Slow Motion: Changing Masculinities, Changing Men, London: Virago.
Smith, H. (2015) Masculinity, Class and Same-Sex Desire in Industrial England, 1895-1957. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Tosh, J. (1999) A Man’s Place: Masculinity and the Middle-Class Home in Victorian England. London: Yale University Press.

If you have been affected by sexual violence, information and support is available from Rape Crisis: https://rapecrisis.org.uk/get-help/

Dan Guinness (Beyond Equality) - Working with Men and Boys for Gender Equality

Thu, 08 Dec 2022 06:00:00 +0000

For over 10 years, Beyond Equality have been engaging with young men in the UK to give them a chance to reflect on who they want to be, and how they can help create safer and more inclusive communities. This was originally through two different organisations: the Good Lad Initiative in universities and Great Men in schools. Since then they have become Beyond Equality, and now work with men and boys in a range of different settings and communities across the UK. Dan Guinness, the Managing Director, was one of the founders - he talks to us about the journey the organisation has been on, and what they have learnt about how to engage men and boys in transformative conversations about issues such as gender equality, relationships, violence against women, and mental health.

Dan has an academic background, holding a PhD in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Oxford. He discusses with us some of the fascinating findings from his research on the links between sport, masculinity, global economic inequalities and neo-liberalism, and how this is embodied in the current Qatar 2022 men’s football World Cup. In addition, he explores the possibilities for healthy and inclusive environments to be created within sport, and his own powerful story of how he came to be involved in gender equality work.

You can find out more about Beyond Equality at: https://www.beyondequality.org

Twitter: https://twitter.com/beyond_equality
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beyond_equality/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beyondequality1
Follow Dan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danguinness/

We cover the following topics in this episode:

Dan’s personal journey of getting involved in issues of gender equality, masculinity and violence prevention
The extent to which egalitarian, non-violent cultures can be created in sport
How the rise of neoliberalism since the 1980s together with ‘breadwinner’ expectations have pressured young men in the Global South to become involved in professional sport
How Beyond Equality started and has changed over time, and the work it’s doing now
The importance of good quality facilitation in work with men and boys
How Beyond Equality evaluate the impact of their work
Future plans, including a new project with Movember about men’s mental health and collective resilience (more info: https://www.beyondequality.org/blog-posts/announcement-collective-resilience-in-community-settings-project-funded-by-movember)
How debates in the UK about masculinity and violence against women have shifted in recent years, and what still needs to change at the policy level

More information:

You can access much of Dan’s research here: https://www.researchgate.net/scientific-contributions/Daniel-Guinness-2126813915
Besnier, N., Calabrò, D.G. and Guinness, D. (eds) (2021) Sport, Migration, and Gender in the Neoliberal Age. Abingdon: Routledge. https://www.routledge.com/Sport-Migration-and-Gender-in-the-Neoliberal-Age/Besnier-Calabro-Guinness/p/book/9781138390652
Besnier, N., Guinness, D., Hann, M. and Kovac, U. (2018) Rethinking masculinity in the neoliberal order: Cameroonian footballers, Fijian rugby players, and Senegalese wrestlers. Comparative Studies in Society and History, 60(4): 839–872. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0010417518000312
Jackson, D. (1990) Unmasking Masculinity: A Critical Autobiography. London: Unwin. https://www.routledge.com/Unmasking-Masculinity-Routledge-Revivals-A-Critical-Autobiography/Jackson/p/book/9781138808713

Gary Barker (Equimundo) - Promoting Nurturing, Non-Violent Masculinity in Times of Political Upheaval

Mon, 07 Nov 2022 06:30:00 +0000

Gary Barker has been a trailblazer in the field of men and masculinities for over thirty years. He is the co-founder and CEO of Equimundo (formerly known as Promundo-US and Instituto Promundo), which does a wide range of innovative work and research with men and boys for gender justice across the globe. We explore his own personal story of how he came to be involved in efforts against violence and for gender equality, and how his own ‘journey’ overlaps with the development of the organisations he has led. As well as hearing from Gary about some of the exciting current elements of this work, we discuss the political turbulence in the United States (where he is based) and Brazil (where he has lived for over fifteen years) in the midst of elections in the two countries. Gary also shares with us his experience of writing fiction, and the conversation ends with him reading a passage from his novel ‘The Museum of Lost Love’.

Find out more about Equimundo and follow them on social media via https://equimundo.org
On 8th November 2022 the Global Boyhood Initiative launched a report called ‘The State of UK Boys’ - read it here: https://boyhoodinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/State-of-UK-Boys-Long-Report.pdf (pdf)
Watch the launch event: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efxq6M9ESAM
Find out more about Gary’s fiction writing: https://garytbarker.com

We discuss the following topics in the episode:

How Gary became involved in working on issues of masculinity, violence and gender equality in the first place
Gary’s PhD in Developmental Psychology, which researched young men’s experiences of growing up in societies with high levels of violence, and led to the book ‘Dying to be Men’ (more info:https://www.routledge.com/Dying-to-be-Men-Youth-Masculinity-and-Social-Exclusion/Barker/p/book/9780415337755#)
The history of Equimundo, and how Gary’s personal story maps onto that
The International Men and Gender Equality Survey (IMAGES) survey and generational shifts that can be observed from it
The Global Boyhood Initiative – a collaboration with the Kering Foundation, Gillette, Plan International, and Meghan Markle (the Duchess of Sussex) and her new podcast Archetypes
Caring masculinities, the MenCare global fatherhood campaign, and why caregiving is such an important part of engaging with men and boys
The political turmoil in the United States surrounding the midterm elections - from the attack on Capitol Hill, to the rolling back of abortion rights, to the ever-increasing toll of gun violence
Connections with the masculinist right-wing populism of the Bolsonaro government in Brazil
The four fiction books Gary has written and how they connect to his other work
Gary reads out and reflects on a passage from his novel ‘The Museum of Lost Love’ (2019), which is influenced by a real museum, the Museum of Broken Relationships in Zagreb (more info: https://www.worldeditions.org/product/the-museum-of-lost-love/)

More information:

The Global Boyhood Initiative: https://boyhoodinitiative.org
Lifting Limits are the organisation delivering the Global Boyhood Initiative in the UK: https://liftinglimits.org.uk/2022/05/gbiuk_launch/
The MenCare global fatherhood campaign: https://men-care.org
The International Men and Gender Equality Survey (IMAGES): https://www.menandgendersurvey.org
Research with the Geena Davis Institute on representations of masculinity in boys’ television: https://www.equimundo.org/resources/if-he-can-see-it-will-he-be-it-representations-of-masculinity-in-boys-television/
Article by Gary, Stephen and Sandy for the journal Men and Masculinities on ‘Covid-19 and Masculinities in Global Perspective’: https://doi.org/10.1177/1097184X21100038
The Equimundo report by Sandy and Stephen which influenced it: https://www.equimundo.org/resources/masculinities-and-covid-19-making-the-connections/
A couple of times, Gary refers to ‘Raewyn’ – this is Prof Raewyn Connell, who we interviewed in episode 12: https://now-and-men.captivate.fm/episode/raewyn-connell

Sandy Ruxton and Stephen Burrell Talking to Yaz Brien - Now and Men: One Year On

Fri, 21 Oct 2022 06:30:00 +0000

In this special 20th episode, Sandy and Stephen reflect on the year since we started Now and Men, and our experience of running the podcast so far. The episode was recorded live at a workshop at a conference called 'Boys at the Crossroads – Insights and Innovations in Young Masculinities', organised by Bristol Young Men’s Network in the UK on 14th October 2022. We discuss why we set the podcast up in the first place, what it has achieved thus far, and the role that podcasts and other media can play in engaging with men and boys about gender equality and influencing constructions of masculinity. In the second half of the episode, we also respond to a range of questions from the workshop participants.

The conversation was facilitated by Yaz Brien, who’s involved in Bristol Young Men’s Network, and has worked across the frontlines of homelessness, mental health, drug and alcohol recovery and domestic abuse, as well as on community reuse and nature-based projects. They’ve also been involved in grassroots organising and activism across multiple continents, including in worker, housing and community cooperatives. Many thanks to Yaz and the workshop participants for their brilliant contributions! If you would like to put a question or comment to us to discuss in a future episode, do contact us at nowandmen@gmail.com.

Yaz is involved in the Transition Network: https://transitionnetwork.org/people/yaz-brien/, and has previously been a presenter on Ujima Radio, Bristol's Black-led community radio station: https://www.ujimaradio.com

Find out more about Bristol Young Men's Network: https://www.facebook.com/BristolYMN/. In the episode we also mention talks at the conference by Lewis Wedlock: https://www.lewiswedlock.com, and Nate Eisenstadt: https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/en/persons/nathan-eisenstadt

We discuss the following topics:

Why we set up Now and Men
What we wanted to achieve with the podcast, and how successful it's been so far
The response we've received, and what we know about Now and Men's audience
What's particularly excited us from the guests we've spoken to far, in relation to the conference theme of young masculinities
How to have conversations about masculinity without creating further polarisation
What the role of feminism is in the podcast
How podcasts differ from other mediums and forms of engagement
What we've learnt from the process and how it's changed us
Advice for others looking to start a podcast
Who we have in our mind's eye when creating the podcast

With the following questions from participants:

How skills from academia can help with setting up a podcast
How universities don't always provide welcoming environments for disadvantaged students
Connections between the diversity of our guests
How to deal with the limitations of what a podcast can achieve
Should we strive for 'healthy masculinity', or seek to move away from it altogether?
Difficulties with challenging gender stereotypes as parents
How a historical perspective can help us understand how gender is constructed

Dr Jade Levell - Boys, Domestic Abuse and Gang Involvement: Eliciting Men’s Stories Through Music

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 06:30:00 +0000

What impact does domestic abuse have on boys when growing up? Why is it that so many young men who are ‘on-road’ or involved in gangs have experienced domestic abuse in the home as children? If the boundaries between being a ‘perpetrator’ and a ‘victim’ of violence are not always as clear cut as we might think, what implications does this have for trying to prevent violence from happening in the first place? We explore these challenging questions and more with Dr Jade Levell, who has recently written a book on her research entitled ‘Boys, Childhood Domestic Abuse and Gang Involvement: Violence at Home, Violence On-Road’, published by Bristol University Press in June 2022.

Jade is a Senior Lecturer in Criminology and Gender Violence at the University of Bristol, and is part of the Gender and Violence Research Centre there. Prior to her research career she was based for over ten years in organisations working to end gender-based violence, including a refuge for women and children, a rape crisis centre, and other projects supporting survivors.

Find out more about Jade’s work at https://jadelevell.com. Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JadeLevell, and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-jade-levell-88099830/. Buy her book: https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/boys-childhood-domestic-abuse-and-gang-involvement

We cover the following topics in the episode:

The impacts domestic abuse has on boys (01:17 - 02:56)
What childhood domestic abuse and gang involvement have to do with each other (02:56 - 11:33)
What Raewyn Connell’s concept of ‘protest masculinity’ means and how it was relevant in Jade’s research (11:33 - 14:56)
Why and how Jade uses ‘music elicitation’ in her work (14:56 - 18:41)
Why when talking about serious youth violence, we rarely think about gender (18:41 - 21:37)
The implications of Jade’s research for policy and practice on preventing violence (21:37 - 24:44)
The ‘cycle of violence’ theory (24:44 - 28:00)
The police killing of Chris Kaba and the impacts of stereotypes about young Black men (28:00 - 32:12)
Why Jade decided to carry out research on domestic abuse and boys and men in the first place (32:12 - 36:54)
Researching these issues as a parent (36:54 - 40:16)
What effective work with domestic abuse perpetrators looks like (40:16 - 49:25)
Three songs which help to tell Jade’s own life story (49:25 - 53:13)

Further reading:

Piece by Jade for Transforming Society, ‘Invisible child victims of DVA become hyper-visible in gangs’ - https://www.transformingsociety.co.uk/2022/06/13/invisible-child-victims-of-dva-become-hyper-visible-in-gangs/
Summary of policy recommendations from Jade’s book - https://www.transformingsociety.co.uk/2022/06/13/policy-briefing-boys-childhood-domestic-abuse-and-gang-involvement/
Read more about Jade’s music elicitation method in the journal Sociological Review - https://thesociologicalreview.org/magazine/november-2021/methods-and-methodology/music-elicitation/
Read more about Jade’s research on work with perpetrators of domestic abuse in the Journal of Gender-Based Violence - https://doi.org/10.1332/239868021X16425822261273
‘Protests across UK over killing of unarmed black man Chris Kaba’ (The Guardian) - https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/sep/17/protest-uk-met-police-killing-black-chris-kaba
‘A thousand young, black men removed from Met gang violence prediction database’ (The Guardian - https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/feb/03/a-thousand-young-black-men-removed-from-met-gang-violence-prediction-database

For domestic abuse support in the UK, contact the National Helpline: https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk, the Men’s Advice Line: https://mensadviceline.org.uk, or the Respect Phoneline if you’re concerned about your own behaviour: https://respectphoneline.org.uk

Sebastián Molano (Oxfam America) – Men at Work, Men at Home: Advancing Feminist Social Change

Wed, 31 Aug 2022 06:30:00 +0000

How can we engage with men in the workplace about gender equality and masculinity? Sebastián Molano deals with this question on a day-to-day basis at Oxfam America, where he has facilitated a regular ‘men-identified’ group for the last 4.5 years, discussing men’s role in relation to gender justice issues such as privilege, accountability, and decolonisation. The group was established in part in response to sexual misconduct and power abuses by Oxfam staff which were uncovered in Haiti and other countries in 2017 and 2018.

Sebastián has been working at Oxfam America for over 5 years, and now leads their efforts to translate intersectional feminism commitments into practice. He has over 16 years of experience in the international development field, working in the US, Latin America and the Caribbean.

Sebastián also discusses the Defying Gender Roles initiative he set up, navigating the challenges of fatherhood in a patriarchal society, and how workplaces should do more to encourage caregiving. Originally from Colombia and now living in Boston, we ask Sebastián about responses to the overturning of the landmark 1973 Roe vs Wade abortion rights ruling in the US. Our conversation concludes by exploring the implications of Colombia recently electing its first ever left-wing president, and Sebastián’s experience of growing up in a society riven by conflict.

You can follow Sebastián on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sebastianmolano/ and Twitter: @JuanseMolano. Find out more about Oxfam America: https://www.oxfamamerica.org.

Read about the Defying Gender Roles project: https://www.defyingenderoles.org, and follow it on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/defyingenderoles/, and Twitter: https://twitter.com/Defygenderoles

We cover the following topics in this episode:

Sebastián’s reflections on 4 years of fatherhood and trying to be a ‘feminist dad’
Men’s experiences of parenting, our relationships with our own fathers, and with patriarchy
The men-identified group Sebastián facilitates at Oxfam America
Key lessons and advice about running a group discussing masculinity in the workplace
Addressing the loneliness and lack of connection many men feel
Changing the culture at Oxfam after cases of sexual misconduct in Haiti and other countries
Promoting caregiving among men in the workplace
Attacks on abortion rights in the US
The recent election results in Colombia and what it means for gender equality
Why Sebastián set up Defying Gender Roles

Further resources relevant to the episode:

Sebastián’s piece, ‘How to become a feminist dad: Four years later’ - https://www.defyingenderoles.org/master-in-love/2022/8/5/how-to-become-a-feminist-dad-four-years-later
bell hooks (2004) ‘The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity, and Love’ - https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Will-to-Change/bell-hooks/9780743456081
David Spiegelhalter, ‘I’ve been meeting with the same group of men for 36 years – here’s what they’ve taught me’ (The Guardian) - https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/jul/23/meeting-same-group-men-years-david-spiegelhalter
Gender at Work podcast episode 22, ‘Feminist Reckonings or Feminist Wrecking Balls?’ -https://genderatwork.org/podcast-episodes/episode-22-feminist-reckonings-or-feminist-wrecking-balls/
Oxfam discussion paper ‘Feminist Futures: Caring for People, Caring for Justice and Rights’ (2020) by Kim Piaget, Clare Coffey, Sebastián Molano, and Maria José Moreno Ruiz - https://oxfamilibrary.openrepository.com/handle/10546/621046
Report by Sandy for Oxfam in 2018, ‘Gender Equality is Everyone’s Responsibility: Oxfam’s work engaging men and boys for gender justice’ - https://oxfam.app.box.com/s/2sk4nd2i74otsm7ukiki082k3ole3i3x
Conversation UK article by Sandy and Stephen - ‘Roe v Wade: men benefit from abortion rights too – and should speak about them more’ - https://theconversation.com/roe-v-wade-men-benefit-from-abortion-rights-too-and-should-speak-about-them-more-185523
Piece by Sebastián for Voice Male magazine, ‘Will peace ever get a chance in Colombia?’ - https://voicemalemagazine.org/will-peace-ever-get-a-chance-in-colombia/
‘What it means to be a man and the struggle for gender equality’, TEDx Talk by Sebastián, 20 March 2015 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Io9vXNII7eI

Dan Boyden (Safe Ground) - Reimagining Masculinities in the Prison System

Thu, 04 Aug 2022 06:30:00 +0000

Prisons can be hyper-masculine, harsh, hierarchical environments where there is a lot of pressure to be tough, never show weakness or emotion, and be prepared to use violence in order to survive. But is it possible to work with men in these spaces to unpack the rigid, restrictive expectations of masculinity that boys and men learn from wider society – and which might have played a part in why they are in prison in the first place? We talk to Dan Boyden, lead facilitator on the ‘Man Up’, ‘Family Man’ and ‘Fathers Inside’ programmes run by the UK charity Safe Ground, about how they do this in their work. We discuss how, in order to reduce crime, perhaps we need to not only work with individual men in prison, but also change prison cultures and the criminal justice system more broadly.

Safe Ground design and deliver arts-based programmes for people in prison and the community. Find out more (pdf): http://www.safeground.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Safe-Ground-A-Vision.pdf. Follow them on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Safe_Ground and Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/safe_ground/

Dan Boyden is also the director of an organisation called The Change Collective, which brings together creative practitioners seeking to use the arts as a tool for social change: https://www.thechangecollective.com. Follow him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-boyden-4517542b/. He has given a TED Talk on ‘Creativity and the Alchemy of Groups’: https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_boyden_creativity_the_alchemy_of_groups

We cover the following topics in this episode:

What the ‘Man Up’, ‘Family Man’ and 'Fathers Inside' programmes are about, and what Safe Ground’s work with men in prisons involves
Challenges involved in doing group work with men in prison
How the prisons themselves interact with Safe Ground’s work
Shifts in penal policy in the UK towards more punitive responses
Why Dan and Safe Ground use arts-based methods
Engaging with men in prison about fatherhood
What impacts the work has on the men who take part
The need for more engagement with men and boys across society about masculine norms and expectations
How Dan got involved in working on masculinity issues, and the impact the work has on him

Dr Stacey Pope - Building Gender Equality in Football

Wed, 06 Jul 2022 06:00:00 +0000

The surging interest in Euro 2022, the Women’s European Championships taking place in England this summer, provides more evidence that we are in a ‘new age’ when it comes to coverage of women’s football. It highlights that much has been achieved in building gender equality in soccer in the UK and beyond. However, numerous recent issues, from questionable stadium choices to high-profile cases of sexual and domestic violence by male players, demonstrate there is still a long way to go, particularly in getting more men to become allies to women and speak out against sexism and misogyny at all levels in the game. In this episode of Now and Men, we talk to Dr Stacey Pope about her extensive research in this area – on issues from attitudes among male fans, to experiences of women in football – which gives vital insights into what the problems are and how things can be changed.

Stacey is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences at Durham University. She studies issues of gender, sport and inequality and is a leading figure in research into women sports fans. She has written a book, ‘The Feminization of Sports Fandom: A Sociological Study’, published by Routledge in 2017: https://www.routledge.com/The-Feminization-of-Sports-Fandom-A-Sociological-Study/Pope/p/book/9780367233006

Follow Stacey on Twitter: https://twitter.com/StaceyPope20 or LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacey-pope-104a2a57/. Read more about her work: https://www.durham.ac.uk/staff/stacey-pope/.

We discuss the following topics in the episode:

Where Euro 2022 fits in the history of women’s football in England
What the Women’s Euros tell us about gender equality in the game today
Tackling violence against women in football
Stacey’s research on attitudes among male fans towards women’s football
Progressive shifts in masculinities in football
Challenging stereotypes about football fans and working-class masculinities
Stacey’s research on the history of female football fandom
Experiences of women football fans today
Where Stacey’s own interests in football come from
How to build gender equality in the game, including examples from other countries
How men in football can be allies to women
Who will win the Euros!

Sé Franklin - Older Men, Masculinities in Ireland, and ‘Inner Work’

Thu, 26 May 2022 06:30:00 +0000

Many older men, especially those who are socially isolated, face significant challenges – from physical ill-health, to loneliness, to marginalisation and poverty. These struggles can be compounded by the ‘hard shell’ of masculinity, learnt young and persisting through the life-course, which can leave some older men feeling a loss of a sense of purpose and potency, and prevent them from opening up about their vulnerabilities or the need for connection and support. Yet growing older can also provide opportunities for reflection, taking life in new directions, and leaving behind restrictive gendered expectations.

In this episode of Now and Men, we have a moving conversation with Sé Franklin about the work he does with older men in Ireland on these issues – as well as the profound impact of doing ‘inner work’ guided by feminist principles. We consider some of the significant social change which has been taking place in Ireland – from divorce reform, to marriage equality, and abortion rights – and what it tells us about gender in Irish society today. The episode ends with Sé reading out a piece he has written on being an older man.

Sé Franklin has been ‘sitting with men in circles’ since 1997. He has worked with the Men's Development Network and other community-based organisations for many years. He has been part of the MenEngage Europe Network since its inception. He is a husband, father and grand-father, and lives in rural County Wexford in the South-East of the Republic of Ireland.

In this episode we cover the following topics:

The group work Sé does with older men in Ireland
The role of masculinity in this work and in older men’s lives
The positive effects engaging with older men can have
Having a men’s health strategy in Ireland
The personal impacts that doing this work has
How poetry can be used in engaging with men
The value of doing inner work
Stopping men’s violence against women in Ireland after the killing of Ashling Murphy
The implications of ongoing social change in Ireland around divorce law reform, same-sex marriage and abortion
Sé’s reading of his piece, ‘An Old Man’s Masculinities’

Links:

Men’s Development Network - https://mensnetwork.ie
We talk to Colm Kelly Ryan, Head of Programmes and Advocacy at the Men's Development Network, in episode 6, 'Men Marching Against Violence Against women' - https://now-and-men.captivate.fm/episode/seville-march
White Ribbon Ireland - https://mensnetwork.ie/whiteribbon/
MenEngage Europe - https://menengage.org/region/europe/

Explainers:

Irish Men’s Sheds Association - https://menssheds.ie
‘Calls for action on gender-based violence after Ashling Murphy killing’ (The Guardian) - https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jan/17/calls-for-action-on-gender-based-violence-after-ashling-murphy-killing-ireland
‘Huge Republic of Ireland vote for gay marriage’ (BBC News) - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-32858501
‘Ireland votes by landslide to legalise abortion’ (The Guardian) - https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/may/26/ireland-votes-by-landslide-to-legalise-abortion
‘Jake Daniels: Blackpool player says coming out will allow him to be ‘free’ and ‘confident’’ (BBC Sport) - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/61467159
‘Divorce in Ireland - A controversial history’ (RTÉ) - https://www.rte.ie/news/politics/2019/0505/1047643-divorce-history/
Report by Sandy, ‘Working with Older Men: A Review of Age Concern Services’ (2006) - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/237443978_Working_with_Older_Men

Luis Lineo - Masculinity, the War in Ukraine, and Refugees: Swedish Responses

Thu, 28 Apr 2022 06:30:00 +0000

Luis Lineo was born in Ukraine to Chilean parents, and was raised there by a single mother. He moved to Sweden at the age of 12 as a refugee. As an adult, he became involved in work on masculinity, violence, and gender equality. We speak to him about the impact of watching on as his country of birth is invaded, and why masculinity and gender matter in the horrifying war on Ukraine. We also explore issues of inequality, integration, and violence in contemporary Sweden, and why Swedish society is more complicated than the beacon of gender equality it is often perceived to be.

Luis is actively involved in Sweden’s Feminist Initiative Party and works at the secretariat for MenEngage Europe (MenEngage is a global network of civil society organisations working with men and boys for gender equality). For over 15 years he has been a journalist and sexuality educator, and helps to run a media house called Fanzingo for young people in a low-income area south of Stockholm. He is an active member of MÄN, a leading organisation in Sweden and Europe working on preventing men’s violence against women and a range of other masculinity issues. He is also a fan of rugby, and used to play for the Swedish national men’s rugby team!

We cover the following topics in the episode:

The impact of the war on Luis and his friends and family
Luis’s life growing up in Ukraine – and what led him to move to Sweden
Luis’s experience of hosting a Ukrainian refugee family since the war began
Why a masculinities perspective is so relevant to the war in Ukraine
Rapid changes in Swedish foreign policy – including potentially joining Nato
Luis’s experience of being involved in the Feminist Initiative Party
Gender equality, gender norms and backlash in Sweden, e.g. around parental leave
Riots against the burning of the Quran in Sweden – and the influence of xenophobia and the far-right
How Luis first got involved in gender equality work
Being a rugby player, and masculine cultures in rugby

For more information...

Follow Luis on Twitter - https://twitter.com/lucholineo
Feminist Initiative Party - https://feministisktinitiativ.se/sprak/english/election-platform/
MenEngage Alliance - https://menengage.org
Media House Fanzingo - https://fanzingo.se/in-english/
MÄN - https://mfj.se/en

Explainers:

Sweden has not yet signed or ratified the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) - https://www.icanw.org/sweden
Malmö: Two women killed after violent attack at Swedish school (BBC) - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-60830059
Swedish parental leave policy (Swedish Institute) - https://sweden.se/life/society/work-life-balance
Women's Equality Party (UK) - https://womensequality.org.uk
Sweden riots over Quran burning: What is happening? (Al Jazeera) -https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/4/19/what-do-we-know-about-the-sweden-riots
Locker Room Talk (Sweden): https://lockerroomtalk.se
Beyond Equality (UK): https://beyondequality.org
UK Rwanda asylum plan: Who does it target and is it going to happen? (The Guardian) - https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/apr/14/rwanda-asylum-plan-who-does-it-target-and-is-it-going-to-happen

Don’t forget to subscribe to Now and Men, leave a review, and share it with your friends! Contact us at nowandmen@gmail.com if you have suggestions or questions you’d like us to discuss in future.

Prof Nicole Westmarland - Men’s Activism to End Violence Against Women and Girls

Thu, 31 Mar 2022 06:30:00 +0000

Some men are playing an active part in speaking out against violence towards women – but not nearly enough. So how do those men who are involved in anti-violence activism come to that position, and what can we learn from their experiences? March 2022 marks one year since Sarah Everard was murdered by a serving police officer, and given the anger this precipitated about the continued prevalence of violence against women and girls in the UK, this is a vital moment to consider what has changed since then, and what change remains needed – especially regarding men’s role in the solution. To explore these issues further, we speak to Professor of Criminology Nicole Westmarland. Nicole is the Director of Durham University’s Centre for Research into Violence and Abuse (http://www.dur.ac.uk/criva), and is internationally recognised for her research in this area. Together with colleagues in Sweden and Spain, Nicole and Now and Men hosts Sandy and Stephen wrote a book entitled ‘Men’s Activism to End Violence Against Women’, published by Policy Press in 2021.

The book is available to buy, or for free as an open access e-book, here: https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/mens-activism-to-end-violence-against-women. We have also written two pieces for The Conversation UK, ‘How men can be allies to women right now’: https://theconversation.com/how-men-can-be-allies-to-women-right-now-157126 and ‘Sarah Everard, police culture and the ‘masculinised’ workplaces we can all help change’: https://theconversation.com/sarah-everard-police-culture-and-the-masculinised-workplaces-we-can-all-help-change-169774. In addition, we have produced a toolkit for the UK Government Equalities Office on ‘Engaging with men and boys about masculine gender norms’: http://dur.ac.uk/criva/geotoolkit/

Nicole has also written a number of other books, including 'Violence Against Women - Criminological Perspectives on Men's Violences' (Routledge, 2015): https://www.routledge.com/Violence-against-Women-Criminological-perspectives-on-mens-violences/Westmarland/p/book/9781843923985 and ‘Researching Gender, Violence and Abuse’ (Routledge, 2019): https://www.routledge.com/Researching-Gender-Violence-and-Abuse-Theory-Methods-Action/Westmarland-Bows/p/book/9781138641266. She has co-led one of the biggest pieces of research about work with perpetrators of domestic abuse in the UK, Project Mirabal: https://projectmirabal.co.uk. You can find out more about Nicole's work here: https://www.durham.ac.uk/staff/nicole-westmarland/, and follow her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Nwestmarland.

We cover the following topics in this episode:

What has changed in the year since Sarah Everard was murdered
The implications of this case for the police and for workplaces
Why Nicole wanted to research men who speak out against violence towards women
Key factors in why men get involved in this kind of activism
Potential tensions when men become anti-violence activists
Male victim-survivors’ experiences of domestic abuse
Nicole’s journey to becoming a professor – including her work and research as a taxi driver
The impact of doing this research on being a parent
Work with perpetrators of domestic abuse and men’s capacity to change
Meaningful things men can do to stop violence against women

Explainers:

No recourse to public funds - Many people who have migrated to the UK have no recourse to public funds, which means they cannot access many aspects of social security and housing assistance.
Professor Stuart Hall at the 1970 National Women’s Liberation Conference creche - https://www.ruskin.ac.uk/blog/on-this-day-at-ruskin-college-national-womens-liberation-conference/
The John Worboys case - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/topics/cdwjdpex8qxt/john-worboys-case
The Prison Reform Trust - http://www.prisonreformtrust.org.uk
Professor Pat Carlen - https://www.britsoccrim.org/pat-carlen/
EDI = Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
'Theresa May says there are 'boy jobs and girl jobs' in the home’ https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/theresa-may-philip-may-husband-boy-jobs-girls-one-show-take-bins-out-bbc-prime-minister-marriage-a7727481.html

If you've been affected by sexual violence, information and support is available from Rape Crisis: https://rapecrisis.org.uk/get-help/

Prof Raewyn Connell - Making Sense of Men and Masculinities in the 21st Century

Thu, 10 Mar 2022 06:30:00 +0000

There is probably no one who has had as big an impact on understandings of men and masculinities as Professor Raewyn Connell. She is one of the founders of this field of research, and has written what is perhaps its key text, the 1995 book ‘Masculinities’, in which she developed her hugely influential concept of hegemonic masculinity. Raewyn has also written and researched on a range of other issues in addition to gender and sexuality, from ‘Southern Theory’, to class, neoliberalism, education, and the politics of intellectual life. Now Professor Emerita at the University of Sydney, she recently received the International Sociological Association's Award for Excellence in Research and Practice, in recognition of her enormous contribution to social science.

It was therefore a huge privilege to talk to Raewyn for this episode of Now and Men. We discuss her views on everything from Russia’s horrifying war on Ukraine, to the Covid-19 pandemic, to some of her earliest research with young men and its relevance to today, to the environmental movement, to her own life history and the experiences of trans women (and other trans groups). Raewyn is also a published poet, and she kindly shares one of her poems with us at the end of the episode.

You can find out much more about the wealth of work Raewyn has done on her personal website, http://www.raewynconnell.net. Her most recent book is called ‘The Good University: What Universities Actually Do and Why It’s Time for Radical Change’, which was published by Zed Books in 2019: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/good-university-9781786995407/. She also recently wrote an article about this topic for The Conversation: https://theconversation.com/remaking-universities-notes-from-the-sidelines-of-catastrophe-175920

Explainers:

The 2nd edition of the book ‘Masculinities’ was published in 2005 by Routledge: https://www.routledge.com/Masculinities/Connell/p/book/9781741145199
The 4th edition of the book ‘Gender: In World Perspective’ was published by Polity in 2020: https://www.politybooks.com/bookdetail?book_slug=gender-in-world-perspective-4th-edition--9781509538997
The book ‘Southern Theory: Social Science and the Global Dynamics of Knowledge’ was published by Polity in 2007: https://www.politybooks.com/bookdetail?book_slug=southern-theory-social-science-and-the-global-dynamics-of-knowledge--9780745642482
The book ‘Making the Difference: Schools, Families and Social Division’, was published by Routledge in 1982: https://www.routledge.com/Making-the-Difference-Schools-families-and-social-division/Connell/p/book/9780868611327. Raewyn also wrote an article about it in 2010 – ‘Making the Difference, Then and Now’: https://doi.org/10.1080/0159630022000029812
Raewyn wrote an article about the climate crisis called ‘Masculinities in the Sociocene’ in 2017: https://www.jstor.org/stable/26241448
‘Boys in Zinc’ by Nobel prize-winner Svetlana Alexievich (Penguin, 2017) - stories from the Soviet-Afghan War: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/295/295485/boys-in-zinc/9780241264119.html
Attempts in Texas to open ‘child abuse’ investigations into parents who pursue gender-affirming surgeries and medical care for trans children: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/mar/01/lawsuit-aims-to-block-texas-investigating-parents-seeking-care-trans-children
We mention 2 books by Prof Lynne Segal: ‘Out of Time: The Pleasures and the Perils of Ageing‘ (Verso, 2014): https://www.versobooks.com/books/1634-out-of-time and ‘Slow Motion: Changing Masculinities, Changing Men’ (3rd edition, Palgrave, 2007): https://link.springer.com/book/10.1057/9780230582521

Prof Paul Higate - Militarism and Military Masculinities: Why Do They Matter?

Fri, 11 Feb 2022 06:30:00 +0000

With the build-up of Russian troops on the borders of Ukraine, and the macho posturing of political leaders, military masculinities remain highly influential. But what does this concept mean, and is it something we should be concerned about? How are masculinities constructed within the armed forces? Is UK society becoming increasingly influenced by militarism? We explore these questions and much more with Professor Paul Higate.

Paul is Professor in Security and Conflict at the University of Bath, in the Department of Politics, Languages & International Studies. He is an advisory editor for the journal Men & Masculinities, and on the editorial board for the journal Critical Military Studies. He was previously in the Royal Air Force for 8 years as a non-commissioned officer, having enlisted when he was 17.

Paul’s research has focused on the links between service in the British army and homelessness, the experience of armed service leavers more broadly, peacekeepers and sexual exploitation, security and host populations hosting peacekeeping operations, and Private Military Security Companies and masculinity. In 2003 he edited the book ‘Military Masculinities: Identity and the State’ (Praeger). You can read more about Paul’s work here: https://researchportal.bath.ac.uk/en/persons/paul-higate, and find him on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-higate-956876b/.

We cover the following topics in this episode:

What 'military masculinities' are
The values celebrated within military masculinity
How the military is viewed in the UK
Misogyny, homophobia, extremism in service subcultures
Parallels between military culture and other masculinised institutions
Violence against women in the military
'Feminisation' of the military and more inclusionary approaches to race, sexuality, religion
Paul’s experience in the RAF and the impact it had on him
Paul’s PhD research on homelessness among veterans
Early recruitment of young people in the UK
Militarism in Britain: Troops to Teachers, cadet forces, services visibility
Impacts of war toys and video games
Symbolism of the poppy
What the military might look like in the future

Some of Paul’s work:

Lecture on ‘Beyond the Myth of the Apolitical Actor: The Case of the British Military’: https://youtu.be/1DoOOp5gb2E
Lecture on ‘Interrogating British Armed Forces Recruiting in Contemporary Times’: https://youtu.be/_G9DMzuQ9XI
Article for Rethinking Security on ‘Racial Hierarchies and the War on Terror’ (2021): https://rethinkingsecurity.org.uk/2021/10/12/racial-hierarchies/
Article for The Conversation UK on ‘Colour, gender, religion: There’s more than political correctness to the new British Army recruitment campaign’ (2018): https://theconversation.com/colour-gender-religion-theres-more-than-political-correctness-to-the-new-british-army-recruitment-campaign-90199
Co-edited book on ‘Private Security in Africa: From the Global Assemblage to the Everyday’ (2017, Zed Books): https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/private-security-in-africa-9781786990259/

Other resources of interest:

Professor Cynthia Enloe: https://www2.clarku.edu/faculty/facultybio.cfm?id=343
Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom: https://www.wilpf.org
More info about UK Parliamentary report about women’s experiences in the armed forces: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/jul/25/two-thirds-of-women-in-uk-military-report-bullying-and-sexual-abuse
Article by Stephen, Prof Nicole Westmarland and Sandy for The Conversation UK – ‘Sarah Everard, police culture and the ‘masculinised’ workplaces we can all help change’: https://theconversation.com/sarah-everard-police-culture-and-the-masculinised-workplaces-we-can-all-help-change-169774
The film ‘if…’ (1968) mentioned by Sandy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/If....
Recent news story about the conduct of officers at Charing Cross Police Station: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-60215575

Prof Jason Arday - Being Young, Black and Male: Challenging the Dominant Discourse

Wed, 26 Jan 2022 06:30:00 +0000

How do stereotypes about Black masculinity influence the lives and aspirations of Black men and boys today? What impacts do they have on individuals and institutions - and how are people of colour challenging such prejudices? How should white people - and especially white men - respond, and what should they do to support the struggle against racism? We explore these questions and much more with Professor Jason Arday, who is based in Durham University’s Department of Sociology like Stephen and Sandy, and is about to move to the School of Education at the University of Glasgow.

Jason is a Trustee of the Runnymede Trust, the UK’s leading Race Equality Thinktank, and the British Sociological Association. He also sits on the Centre for Labour and Social Studies (CLASS) National Advisory Panel and the NHS Race and Health Observatory Academic Reference Group, as well as being a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA). He holds Visiting Fellowships at several institutions including Ohio State University.

You can find out more about Jason’s work at https://www.durham.ac.uk/staff/jason-a-arday/. He has a book coming out soon through Palgrave Macmillan called ‘Being Young, Black and Male: Challenging the Dominant Discourse’.
He has written the book ‘Cool Britannia and Multi-Ethnic Britain: Uncorking the Champagne Supernova’ (Routledge, 2019): https://www.routledge.com/Cool-Britannia-and-Multi-Ethnic-Britain-Uncorking-the-Champagne-Supernova/Arday/p/book/9781138217409.
Jason and Prof Heidi Mirza have co-edited the book ‘Dismantling Race in Higher Education: Racism, Whiteness and Decolonising the Academy’ (Palgrave Macmillan, 2018): https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-319-60261-5

We cover the following topics in this episode:

The ‘Colston Four’ verdict and removing statues of colonial figures
Responses to the Black Lives Matter movement in the UK
How Black masculinities are viewed, and the effects this has
Struggles around ‘talking to white people about race’
Resisting racist stereotypes, and Jason’s upcoming book ‘Being Young, Black and Male: Challenging the dominant discourse’
How Jason got involved in researching these issues
Jason’s experience of growing up and dealing with disability as a Black man
The role of the education system in tackling race inequality
How Covid-19 has interacted with structural racism in the UK
Principles for white people in becoming genuine allies
Music which reflects the challenges Jason has faced

Resources of interest:

Reni Eddo-Lodge’s book ‘Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race’ (Bloomsbury, 2018): https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/why-im-no-longer-talking-to-white-people-about-race-9781408870587/
Lemn Sissay’s book ‘My Name Is Why’ (Canongate, 2019): https://www.waterstones.com/book/my-name-is-why/lemn-sissay/9781786892362
Guardian documentary ‘The Circle’, directed by Lanre Malaolu, about masculinity, racism and brotherhood on a Hackney estate (2020): https://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2020/jul/15/the-circle-masculinity-racism-and-brotherhood-on-a-hackney-estate-video
Steve McQueen’s recent ‘Small Axe’ film series (2020): https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/p08vxt33/small-axe

Explainers:

The ‘Colston Four’ case: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/jan/05/four-cleared-of-toppling-edward-colston-statute
Priti Patel described taking the knee as ‘gesture politics’: https://inews.co.uk/news/priti-patel-taking-the-knee-what-say-tyrone-mings-stoking-fire-racism-explained-1100801
More information about Kemi Badenoch’s comments on critical race theory: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/aug/11/kemi-badenoch-never-far-from-controversy-in-brief-political-career
Glasgow was previously described as Europe’s ‘murder capital’ by the World Health Organization: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-45572691
Professor Heidi Mirza: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2021/may/spotlight-professor-heidi-mirza
Linto Kwesi Johnson: https://lintonkwesijohnson.com/linton-kwesi-johnson/
Professor Paul Gilroy: https://www.theguardian.com/news/2021/aug/05/paul-gilroy-britain-scholar-race-humanism-vital-guide-age-of-crisis

Olivia Dickinson - Let Toys Be Toys: Gender Stereotypes and Boys

Mon, 20 Dec 2021 07:00:00 +0000

At Christmas time, many of us are buying toys for the children in our lives. But do toys, and the way they are promoted, play a significant role in reinforcing gender stereotypes from a young age? What impact does it have on boys that they are frequently encouraged to play with vehicles, construction toys, weapons – but rarely dolls, domestic toys, fashion or crafts? In this Christmas Special episode of Now and Men, we explore these issues with Olivia Dickinson from the UK campaign Let Toys Be Toys.

We discuss new research Let Toys Be Toys have just published, showing that whilst progress is being made, gender stereotypes remain widespread in TV toy advertising, with adverts featuring girls often focusing on themes of fashion, beauty, ‘be nice’ and consumerism, and adverts featuring boys often focusing on action and conflict. Read more about the research here: https://lettoysbetoys.org.uk/tvads2021/. Let Toys Be Toys have 'Just 4 Asks' for manufacturers, retailers and now advertisers: https://www.lettoysbetoys.org.uk/just4asks/. They have also created some videos for advertisers: https://www.lettoysbetoys.org.uk/toyads-just4asks/

Olivia has 20 years’ experiences of working in children’s media across Amazon, the BBC, Nickelodeon and Sky Kids. She provides training for school staff and trainee teachers, as well as consulting for children's TV and digital companies on equality issues, and is a member of the executive group responsible for diversity and inclusion at The Children’s Media Foundation.

You can find out more and get involved in Let Toys Be Toys at https://lettoysbetoys.org.uk. Follow Olivia on Twitter at https://twitter.com/OlivaceousD, and on LinkedIn at https://linkedin.com/in/oliviadickinson/. She has also been involved in the charity Lifting Limits, who you can find out more about at: https://liftinglimits.org.uk. Read their pilot evaluation here: https://liftinglimits.org.uk/pilot-evaluation/

In the episode we cover the following topics:

How gender stereotypes are reinforced through toys and other parts of children’s lives (e.g. media, advertising, publishing, clothes) and why this is harmful
What impact this has on boys and on constructions of masculinity
Ways in which children resist these influences
How gender stereotypes in childhood have changed (and in some cases become more significant) over time
Achievements of the Let Toys Be Toys campaign
The role that toy companies are playing and how they could do better
How gendered marketing contributes to more consumption and more environmental damage
The work of Lifting Limits and how schools and educators can help challenge gender stereotypes
How Olivia got involved in campaigning on these issues and how she keeps motivated
Advice she would give to parents and other adults about how to help children not be held back by gender stereotypes

The following resources were also discussed during the episode…

Let Toys Be Toys article on 10 ways to challenge gender stereotypes in the classroom: https://www.lettoysbetoys.org.uk/resources/ten-ways-to-challenge-gender-stereotypes-in-the-classroom/
Let Toys Be Toys article about the relationship between toys, gender stereotypes, and environmental sustainability: https://www.lettoysbetoys.org.uk/toysandourplanet/
Let Clothes Be Clothes campaign: https://letclothesbeclothes.co.uk
New guide just released by LIONS and The Fawcett Society about smashing gender stereotypes in children’s advertising: https://www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/news/the-fawcett-society-and-lions-release-new-guide-aimed-at-smashing-gender-stereotypes-in-childrens-advertising
The Fawcett Society Commission on Gender Stereotypes in Early Childhood: https://www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/smashstereotypes
Advice from the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) following their ban on gender stereotyping in advertising: https://www.asa.org.uk/advice-online/harm-and-offence-gender-stereotypes.html
National Education Union ‘Breaking the Mould’ research: https://neu.org.uk/breaking-mould
No More Boys and Girls BBC Documentary: https://youtu.be/wN5R2LWhTrY
Gender Action resource library: https://genderaction.co.uk/online-resources
Institute of Physics School resources to address gender imbalance: https://iop.org/school-resources-address-gender-imbalance
Dr Elizabeth Sweet's research on gender and children's toys: https://elizabethvsweet.com/research

Have a lovely festive season everyone!

Prof Bob Pease - Masculinities, Climate Change, and Men’s Relationships with Nature

Wed, 08 Dec 2021 06:00:00 +0000

What do men, gender inequality and the climate crisis have to do with each other? What role might masculinities be playing in contributing to environmental destruction? In the wake of COP26, hear Professor Bob Pease discuss why men need to recreate our relationships with nature in order to tackle global heating in this episode of Now and Men.

Bob is an Adjunct Professor in the Institute for Social Change at the University of Tasmania in Australia, and an Honorary Professor in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Deakin University. He is a pro-feminist academic and activist with a background in critical social work, who has been involved in research and campaigning around ending men's violence against women for several decades, and has recently been exploring the gendered dynamics of natural disasters and climate change.

The episode covers the following topics…

Bob’s reflections on the COP26 UN Climate Conference in Glasgow.
Why studying men and masculinities can help us to understand the climate and ecological crises, and how a pro-feminist lens offers solutions for tackling them.
How masculinities can affect and hinder men’s emotional responses to natural disasters, such as the bushfires in Australia.
Bob’s reflections on his participation in anti-sexist activism and research since the 1970’s, and how he came to be involved in the first place.
His advice for men interested in getting involved in pro-feminist, anti-violence work today.
Why men should want to work to undo male privilege.
What Bob does to maintain a sense of hope in the work he does.

You can find out more about Bob’s work here: https://rmdb.research.utas.edu.au/public/rmdb/q/indiv_detail_warp_trans/19205.

He has written and edited more than 15 books during his career, the most recent of which include:

‘Undoing Privilege: Unearned Advantage and Systemic Injustice in an Unequal World’ – the second edition of which will be published on 16^th December 2021 by Bloomsbury: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/undoing-privilege-9781913441135/
‘Post-Anthropocentric Social Work: Critical Posthuman and New Materialist Perspectives’ (Routledge, 2021, co-edited with Prof Vivienne Bozalek): https://www.routledge.com/Post-Anthropocentric-Social-Work-Critical-Posthuman-and-New-Materialist/Bozalek-Pease/p/book/9780367349653
‘Facing Patriarchy: From a Violent Gender Order to a Culture of Peace’ (Zed Books, 2019): https://www.bloomsburycollections.com/book/facing-patriarchy-from-a-violent-gender-order-to-a-culture-of-peace/
‘Men, Masculinities and Disaster’ (Routledge, 2016, co-edited with Dr Elaine Enarson):https://www.routledge.com/Men-Masculinities-and-Disaster/Enarson-Pease/p/book/9781138324602
You can read his article, ‘Recreating Men’s Relationship with Nature: Toward a Profeminist Environmentalism’, in the journal Men and Masculinities here: https://doi.org/10.1177/1097184X18805566

Peter Baker - Improving Men's Health and Wellbeing

Tue, 23 Nov 2021 06:00:00 +0000

How and why has men’s health been so badly impacted by Covid-19? What do masculinities and feminism have to do with men’s health? What are some of the key issues affecting the wellbeing of men and boys in the UK today, and what can we do about it? Find out more in the latest episode of Now and Men, with international men’s health expert Peter Baker.

Peter is the Director of the Global Action on Men’s Health network, and for 12 years was the Chief Executive of the Men’s Health Forum in the UK. Until 2020 he was also the Campaign Director for HPV Action, and in 2018 received the Royal Society for Public Health’s award for Outstanding Contribution to Championing the Public’s Health because of his efforts in getting boys vaccinated against HPV (human papillomavirus).

Topics covered in this episode include…

Why Covid-19 demonstrates the need to engage much more with men and boys about their physical and mental health (for example, regarding vaccinations).
Why the male suicide rate does not appear to have increased so far during the pandemic.
How Peter got involved in working on men’s health, and the impact of his own experiences of growing up as a boy.
Peter’s involvement in anti-sexist activism such as the magazine Achilles Heel, and why feminism has made a vital contribution to men’s health.
The effects of pornography on men and boys, and Peter’s involvement in anti-pornography campaigning.
The impacts of masculine gender norms and expectations on men’s and boys’ health.
The increasing struggles some men and boys are facing around body image.
Peter’s campaigning for boys to get vaccinated against the human papillomavirus (HPV).
What works, what some of the tensions are, and what policies are needed to improve the health of men and boys.

You can find out more about Peter and his work at his website, https://pbmenshealth.co.uk. You can also follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/pbmenshealth, and on LinkedIn: http://uk.linkedin.com/in/pbmenshealth/.

Other organisations and resources mentioned in the episode…

Global Action on Men’s Health: https://gamh.org
UK Men’s Health Forum: https://www.menshealthforum.org.uk
HPV Action: http://www.hpvaction.org
British Medical Journal (BMJ) piece, ‘Our response to Covid-19 must not be gender blind nor a gender battle’: https://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2021/07/02/our-response-to-covid-19-must-not-be-gender-blind-nor-a-gender-battle/
UK Men’s Sheds Association: https://menssheds.org.uk

Men Marching Against Violence Against Women

Tue, 02 Nov 2021 06:00:00 +0000

What does a men’s march against violence against women look like? What kind of actions are organisations across Europe taking to engage men and boys in building gender equality? We find out in this special episode of Now and Men, recorded in Seville at a demonstration against gender-based violence, which takes place every year on 21st October in cities across Spain. To coincide with this, a MenEngage Europe members’ meeting was also happening in Seville, so we spoke to participants from several different European countries about their experience of the demonstration, the work they do, and why it’s so important for men to transform harmful ideas of masculinity and take action against patriarchal violence.

We talk to:

Miguel Lázaro - Vice-President of Masculinidades Beta in Spain - https://masculinidadesbeta.org, and member of MenEngage Iberia - https://twitter.com/menengageiberia
Anna Lindqvist - Director of MÄN in Sweden - https://mfj.se/en
Colm Kelly Ryan - Head of Programmes at the Men's Development Network in Ireland - https://mensnetwork.ie (Colm has written a report of the demonstration and MenEngage meeting here: https://mensnetwork.ie/menengage/)
Joni van de Sand – Global Co-Director of the MenEngage Alliance - http://menengage.org

The demonstration was covered (in Spanish) by RTVE, the Spanish public broadcasting service, here: https://www.rtve.es/play/videos/telediario-2/manifestacion-sevilla-bajo-lema-hombres-igualdad/6148239/.

You can join the MenEngage Europe Facebook Page at: https://www.facebook.com/MenEngageEurope

Sandy, Stephen and other colleagues have co-authored a book, ‘Men’s Activism to End Violence Against Women: Voices from Spain, Sweden and the UK’ (Policy Press, 2021), which is available to buy or to read for free as an e-book here: https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/mens-activism-to-end-violence-against-women

Please note that because the podcast was recorded whilst we were at the demonstration, the sound quality is not always perfect, for which we apologise!

Thank you to Shkodran Latifi (from SIT, Kosovo - https://sit-ks.org) for the photo.

If you have been affected by sexual violence, information and support is available from Rape Crisis: https://rapecrisis.org.uk/get-help/. Rape Crisis European Network: https://www.rcne.com/contact/countries/

Contact the UK National Domestic Abuse Helpline: https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/

Dr Fiona Vera-Gray - Men’s Violence against Women, Street Harassment, and Pornography

Fri, 08 Oct 2021 06:30:00 +0000

What role can men play in ending violence against women and girls? Sarah Everard, Sabina Nessa, Nicole Smallman and Bibaa Henry – and many other women – were all murdered by men in the UK in 2020-21. This led to an outpouring of anger about the extent of men’s violence, the pervasiveness of sexism and misogyny that underpins it, and the failure of key institutions to respond effectively. In this episode we talk to Dr Fiona Vera-Gray, formerly an Assistant Professor at Durham University and now the Deputy Director of the Child and Woman Abuse Studies Unit at London Metropolitan University. She is an expert on sexual violence, street harassment and pornography, and we ask about her research, what it means for men, and what needs to change.

You can find out more about Fiona’s work here: https://www.londonmet.ac.uk/profiles/staff/fiona-vera-gray/

Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/VeraGrayF
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fveragray/

The episode covers the following topics:

The potential impacts of recent heightened awareness and public debate about men’s violence against women in the UK (02:48 - 04:45)
The response of the police, criminal justice system, and UK government to calls for a sea change in efforts to tackle men’s violence against women and girls (04:45 - 08:54)
What men need to do to become part of the solution (08:54 - 14:50)
Problems that can arise when men do get involved in work to end violence against women (14:50 - 18:13)
Fiona’s research on the impacts of men’s intrusions in public spaces, and how this constrains women's freedom (18:13 -26:52)
Her research on the content of mainstream online pornography (26:52 - 33:19)
The influences that pornography is having on society, including on ideas of masculinity and male sexuality, and what we can do about it (33:19 - 32:12)
Preventing violence against women from happening in the first place (42:12 - 43:56)
The impact that feminism and the movement to end violence against women and girls has had on Fiona (43:56 - 47:57)

Resources:

If you have been affected by sexual violence, information and support is available from Rape Crisis: https://rapecrisis.org.uk/get-help/
Fiona has recently written an article for the Guardian, ‘If we’re serious about ending violence against women, we need to talk about culture’: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/oct/04/violence-against-women-culture-true-crime-pornography-onscreen
You can buy her 2018 book, ‘The Right Amount of Panic: How women trade freedom for safety in public’ (Policy Press), here: https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/the-right-amount-of-panic
And her 2016 book, ‘Men's Intrusion, Women's Embodiment: A critical analysis of street harassment’, here: https://www.routledge.com/Mens-Intrusion-Womens-Embodiment-A-critical-analysis-of-street-harassment/Vera-Gray/p/book/9781138360327
You can read her latest journal article, ‘Sexual violence as a sexual script in mainstream online pornography’ (2021), in the British Journal of Criminology here: https://academic.oup.com/bjc/article/61/5/1243/6208896
She has a new book coming out soon called 'Women on Porn': https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/454201/women-on-porn-by-vera-gray-dr-fiona/9781911709435

An article on what men can do to help end violence against women by Stephen, Sandy and Nicole Westmarland, ‘How men can be allies to women right now’, was published in March 2021: https://theconversation.com/how-men-can-be-allies-to-women-right-now-157126

Explainers:

Dominic Raab (UK Justice Secretary) was widely criticised when he commented on the BBC Breakfast Programme (October 6th, 2021): ‘Misogyny is absolutely wrong, whether it’s a man against a woman, or a woman against a man’: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/oct/06/dominic-raab-confuses-meaning-of-misogyny-in-bbc-interview
Professor Liz Kelly, who devised the concept of women’s ‘safety work’, is a Professor of Sexualised Violence and Director of the Child and Woman Abuse Studies Unit (CWASU) at London Metropolitan University: https://www.londonmet.ac.uk/profiles/staff/liz-kelly/
Dr Evan Stark is the author of the book ‘Coercive Control: The Entrapment of Women in Personal Life’ (2007): https://evanstark.weebly.com

Owen Thomas - Working with Marginalised Young Men

Tue, 21 Sep 2021 05:30:00 +0000

What’s life like for young Black men in London today – and how has it changed since the 1980s? What can be done to support them, and to open up new ways of being a man? Find out more in this conversation with Owen Thomas, Head of Programmes with Fathers at the charity Future Men, where he has worked for over 15 years.

Some of the issues we cover in this episode of Now and Men include:

Why Owen was invited to the G7 to talk to the Duchess of Cambridge and Jill Biden about Future Men’s work with fathers.
Owen’s experiences of growing up and learning about what it means to be a man in Brixton in the 1980s and 1990s.
The struggles and new opportunities around being a father during the pandemic.
The work that Future Men do and how they seek to foster new, healthier models of masculinity.
The Black Lives Matter movement, and the impacts of racism on Future Men staff and the men and boys they work with.
The challenges that young men in London are facing now and in the future, from extreme wealth inequalities, to gentrification, to gang violence - and how young people are creating social change in the face of this.

We apologise for the background noise during the first part of the episode – Future Men’s office is near a school and the children were obviously having their break at the same time we were recording!

Find out more about the work of Future Men at http://futuremen.org. You can follow them on Twitter at https://twitter.com/FutureMenUK, Facebook at https://facebook.com/FutureMenCharity/, and LinkedIn at https://linkedin.com/company/future-men-charity.

Future Men chair the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Fatherhood, which you can read more about at: https://futuremen.org/appg-on-fatherhood/
Early on in the episode Owen mentions the uprisings against racism in 1981, 1985 and 1995. These are sometimes described as the Brixton riots, and you can read more about them here: https://theguardian.com/world/2021/apr/11/brixton-riots-40-years-on-a-watershed-moment-for-race-relations and here: https://runnymedetrust.org/histories/index.html
Towards the end of the episode Owen refers to the killing of the former footballer Dalian Atkinson by a police officer, which you can learn more about here: https://theconversation.com/dalian-atkinson-manslaughter-conviction-for-pc-but-justice-for-police-violence-remains-elusive-163457
Early on in the episode the following acronyms are used: ILEA (Inner London Education Authority) and GLC (Greater London Council).

If you have any questions or comments about this or future episodes of Now and Men, you can contact us at nowandmen@gmail.com.

Dr Mike Ward - Young Working-Class Masculinities in the South Wales Valleys

Tue, 31 Aug 2021 05:00:00 +0000

How do the Covid-19 pandemic, deindustrialisation in South Wales, and Bruce Springsteen all link back to masculinity? Find out in episode 3 of Now and Men, where we speak to Dr Mike Ward, a Senior Lecturer in Social Sciences at Swansea University. Mike’s research focuses on the performance of working-class masculinities within and beyond educational institutions. He is the author of the award-winning book ‘From Labouring to Learning, Working-Class Masculinities, Education and De-industrialization’, published by Palgrave Macmillan in 2015. He is also the editor of Boyhood Studies, an interdisciplinary academic journal.

Some of the issues we cover in the episode include…

Mike’s CoronaDiaries project, which has sought to understand the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on people’s everyday lives.
How Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford’s response to the pandemic has differed from that of other male leaders.
Mike’s own experience of growing up in the South Wales Valleys, and how studying sociology helped him understand his background.
The ethnographic research Mike has conducted with working-class young men in South Wales, which shone a light on the impact of deindustrialisation and different forms of loss at individual and community levels, and the ethical challenges which arose from his study.
The influence of locality on the construction of masculinity, and the variety of forms that young working-class masculinities can take.
Contemporary discussions about a ‘crisis of masculinity’.
Being a Bruce Springsteen fan - and what his music tells us about being a man.

Read more about and access Mike’s work on his Swansea University page: https://www.swansea.ac.uk/staff/human-and-health-sciences/public-health-policy-and-social-sciences/ward-m/. You can follow him on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/mrmwardphd.

You can buy Mike’s book ‘From Labouring to Learning: Working-Class Masculinities, Education and De-industrialization’ from Palgrave Macmillan: https://www.palgrave.com/gp/book/9781349561322
Find out more about the CoronaDiaries project, and read diary entries, at https://collections.swansea.ac.uk/s/coronadiaries/page/home. It was covered by a variety of media sources, such as the BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-wales-52273526. Mike also wrote a piece about it for The Conversation: https://theconversation.com/lockdown-diaries-the-everyday-voices-of-the-coronavirus-pandemic-138631
The journal Boyhood Studies can be accessed at: http://boyhood-studies.berghahnjournals.com. Two special issues have recently been published on ‘The Men and the Boys, Twenty Years on: Revisiting Raewyn Connell's pivotal text’.
Read more about the ‘Beyond Male Role Models’ project which Mike, Sandy and others worked on: https://wels.open.ac.uk/research/beyond-male-role-models. A short article by Mike about the project is here: https://theconversation.com/you-dont-have-to-be-male-to-be-a-role-model-for-men-71296
The journal article by Jonathan Scourfield and Mark Drakeford which Mike refers to, 'Boys from Nowhere: Finding Welsh men and putting them in their place', can be found here: https://journals.library.wales/view/1179046/1181678/12

This episode was hosted and produced by Stephen Burrell and Sandy Ruxton. Thank you very much to Professor Nicole Westmarland, Durham University, and Vic Turnbull (MIC Media) for all of their support in setting up Now and Men.

Nikki van der Gaag - Men, Feminism and Care Work

Fri, 06 Aug 2021 05:00:00 +0000

What do men and feminism have to do with each other? How can men contribute to gender equality and engage more in care work? Hear Nikki van der Gaag discuss these questions and much more on episode 2 of Now and Men. Nikki is a feminist writer and researcher specialising in gender and development. She has a particular interest in men and masculinities, and has written a book called ‘Feminism and Men’ in 2014, as well as the ‘No-nonsense’ Guide to Feminism in 2017. She is an independent consultant and a Senior Fellow at Promundo, as well as being on the Steering Committee for MenEngage Europe. Until 2019 she was the Director of Gender Justice and Women's Rights at Oxfam GB.

Some of the issues we cover in our conversation include:

Why, as a feminist, Nikki works on masculinities and fatherhood.
How her own experiences of being a parent and growing up as a girl have shaped her involvement in feminist activism.
Different ways in which men have responded to feminism across society.
Men’s role in building gender equality, and everyday things men can do as allies.
What needs to change in society to get more men involved in caregiving.
The impact of Covid-19 on caregiving and on gender equality.
Why there is cause for optimism within emerging social movements.

You can follow Nikki on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/NikkivanderGaag or on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikki-van-der-gaag-455a883/

In the episode, we mention the following pieces of work:

Nikki’s book, ‘Feminism and Men’ (2014), published by Zed Books: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/feminism-and-men-9781780329116
Her ‘No Nonsense’ Guide to Feminism, published in 2016 by Verso/New Internationalist: https://newint.org/books/new-internationalist/nononsense-feminism
Promundo’s State of the World’s Fathers reports: http://stateoftheworldsfathers.org
Plan International’s State of the World’s Girls reports: https://plan-uk.org/about-because-i-am-a-girl/because-i-am-a-girl-past-reports
Find out more about the organisations Nikki has been involved in: https://promundoglobal.org, http://menengage.org, https://oxfam.org.uk, https://younglives.org.uk
And other organisations that she mentions: https://wbg.org.uk/commission/, https://fawcettsociety.org.uk, https://awid.org, https://youngfeministfund.org

If you would like to give us your feedback, suggest a guest, or have a question you'd like us to discuss in a future episode, get in touch with us at nowandmen@gmail.com.

Dr Martin Robb - Men, Fatherhood and Caring for Children

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 04:00:00 +0000

The Voice, Harry Potter, and fatherhood: what's the connection? Hear Dr Martin Robb talk about this and much more on episode 1 of Now and Men. Martin is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Health, Wellbeing and Social Care at the Open University. His work is based around issues of gender, identity and care, with a particular focus on fatherhood and the development of caring masculinities.

Some of the issues we cover in our conversation include:

How fatherhood and men’s care are portrayed in popular culture.
The strengths and weaknesses of different political positions on fatherhood and men caring for children.
How to understand and promote men’s involvement as fathers and caregivers.
Debates about the meaning and relevance of ‘male role models’ to men and boys.
Historical perspectives and how thinking about fatherhood has changed over time.
How Martin’s own experiences of growing up as a boy and becoming a father have impacted on his work.

Martin has a blog at: https://martinrobb.wordpress.com, and you can follow him on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/MartinRobbOU

In the episode, we mention the following pieces of work:

Martin is the author of a book which was published by Routledge in 2020, entitled ‘Men, Masculinities and the Care of Children: Images, Ideas and Identities’: https://www.routledge.com/Men-Masculinities-and-the-Care-of-Children-Images-Ideas-and-Identities/Robb/p/book/9781138234550
He has also edited a book (available for free as an e-book) on ‘Fathers and Forefathers: Men and their Children in Genealogical Perspective’: https://www.mdpi.com/books/pdfview/book/2628
Martin, Sandy and others worked on an Open University project called ‘Beyond Male Role Models’: https://wels.open.ac.uk/research/beyond-male-role-models
Martin, Sandy and David Bartlett have collaborated on a project for Promundo on ‘Young Men, Masculinity and Wellbeing’: https://promundoglobal.org/resources/young-men-masculinity-wellbeing-open-university-research-project-association-promundo/
At the end of the episode Stephen and Sandy mention our own new book, co-authored with Prof Nicole Westmarland and several international colleagues, which has just been published by Policy Press (including as a free e-book) - ‘Men’s Activism to End Violence Against Women: Voices from Spain, Sweden and the UK’: https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/mens-activism-to-end-violence-against-women

This episode was hosted by Stephen Burrell and Sandy Ruxton, and was produced by Vic Turnbull from MIC Media: https://micmedia.co.uk. We are very grateful to Vic from all of the support she has given us in setting up Now and Men.

Now and Men - Trailer

Wed, 14 Jul 2021 11:01:00 +0000

Now and Men features current conversations about masculinity, men's lives, and gender equality. It was launched in July 2021, and can be found wherever you get your podcasts!