Societal norms often compel men to repress emotions, resulting in both emotional suffering and perpetuation of harmful behaviors towards others.
Creating meaningful connections in educational settings is essential for fostering empathy, allowing students to feel seen and supported.
The 'Everybody Thriving' event aims to empower educators to collaboratively discuss mental health challenges and support one another's growth.
Engaging boys in open discussions about masculinity helps them explore their identities and navigate the complexities of social expectations.
Deep dives
The Struggle with Masculinity
The podcast addresses the complexities surrounding masculinity, emphasizing how societal expectations often dictate that men suppress their emotions and display only strength. It discusses how boys are often taught from a young age that expressing vulnerability is a sign of weakness, as illustrated through the common childhood phrase, 'big boys don’t cry.' This idealized version of masculinity, heavily influenced by media and cultural heroes, pressures men to conform to rigid standards, resulting in emotional concealment instead of authentic self-expression. The conversation invites a reflection on how these imposed identities can harm men just as much as they perpetuate harmful behaviors towards others.
Importance of Human Connection in Education
The speakers talk about the significance of creating meaningful connections when engaging with students, contrasting the impact of online interactions with the depth of live events. They argue that fostering human connection is crucial in educational settings, enabling students to feel seen and heard as they share their thoughts and struggles. By participating in workshops and group sessions, educators and students can explore their shared humanity and develop a better understanding of each other's experiences. This approach encourages educators to move beyond mere information delivery and cultivate an environment of empathy and support.
Rethinking Educational Events
A new event, 'Everybody Thriving,' is introduced, which aims to foster dialogue around mental health and well-being among educators without the traditional speaker-delegate format. This event seeks to empower attendees to actively participate in discussions about their experiences, workshop ideas, and collaboratively address challenges without waiting for policy changes. The goal is to create a community-driven initiative where educators share resources, insights, and support one another, emphasizing that change can come from grassroots efforts rather than top-down mandates. The emphasis on collaborative conversation aims to redefine how educators approach challenges in their environments.
The Crisis in Masculinity
Lewis Wedlock, a masculinities educator, discusses his TEDx talk titled 'The Crisis in Masculinity,' which critiques the patriarchal systems influencing how masculinity is perceived and enacted. He points out that societal norms often pressure men to conform to a narrow understanding of masculinity, which can lead to toxic behaviors and emotional repression. Wedlock emphasizes the need to create spaces for discussion and reflection on different forms of masculinity, focusing on the importance of empowering young men to explore their identities without shame. His insights encourage educators to engage boys in conversations about their experiences and navigate the complexities surrounding masculinity.
Adolescence and Its Impact
The podcast reflects on how the Netflix series 'Adolescence' has sparked conversations around misogyny and masculinity by bringing these issues into mainstream discourse. However, there are concerns that merely presenting this series in schools without proper context could overwhelm educators and students alike, making it essential to develop a comprehensive framework for discussing these sensitive topics. The need for trained educators who can facilitate nuanced discussions about the complex themes presented in the show is highlighted, as is the importance of creating support systems within school environments. The discussion urges a shift from knee-jerk reactions to thoughtful responses that genuinely address the issues at hand.
Engaging Young People in Conversations
The speakers advocate for a more inviting approach to discussing challenging topics with young people by using the 'calling in' technique instead of 'calling out.' This method encourages educators to engage with students' thoughts and feelings without shaming or blaming them, fostering a sense of safety and openness. This approach not only acknowledges the perspectives of young people but also helps them to reflect on their beliefs and grow from those discussions. Teaching young people that disagreement can be productive and respectful is crucial, allowing them to understand differing viewpoints while feeling valued in the conversation.
Personal Reflections on Masculinity
Lewis Wedlock shares his personal journey of grappling with masculinity and the realization that he still confronts biases in his perspective, illustrating the continual self-examination and growth required in this work. His experiences highlight the importance of being transparent with young people about one’s own struggles with identity and societal expectations, positioning himself as a fellow traveler on the path to understanding. By embracing vulnerability, educators can create a more relatable and trustworthy environment for students, allowing for deeper learning and connection. This ongoing process underscores the idea that nobody has all the answers but can work collectively to navigate the complexities of modern masculinity.
Lewis Wedlock is an academic, mental health professional and masculinities educator from Bristol, England.
He has spent the last five years working with thousands of young men across the UK in secondary and higher education, engaging them in topics such as feminism, allyship, accountability, sexism, misogyny and VAWG.
He has designed and delivered several interventions for schools looking to transform their masculinity school cultures, and has worked with hundreds of educators to support them in the journey towards supporting and empowering young men within their school spaces.
His debut book “Masculinities in Schools” is due to be published by Sage in June.
LINKS
Lewis’s TEDx talk ‘The crisis of masculinity’ - https://www.ted.com/talks/lewis_wedlock_the_crisis_of_masculinity
Lewis’s book ‘Masculinities in school’ - https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/masculinities-in-schools/book291711
Lewis on bringing teachers on the journey towards anti-misogyny work in schools - https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7313467595809046529/?originTrackingId=vFhKtaFiTryFt2v9NuWMIA%3D%3D
Lewis on safeguarding women and gender-fluid teachers in conversations relating to anti-misogyny work - https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7312383310528143360/?originTrackingId=%2B%2FDoao0qRka%2BXELJ%2BeWPdw%3D%3D
Lewis on why we need to rethink showing Adolescence in schools - https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7310952725276446720/?originTrackingId=qEDxB5LuRYqggVUxMjo%2F%2FA%3D%3D
Follow James - https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-mannion/
Outro track: ‘How it is and how it should be’ by Grit Control: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1ud69RIV1eOV9poMR7AORI
DON'T BE A STRANGER
The Rethinking Education podcast is brought to you by Crown House Publishing. It is hosted by Dr James Mannion and David Cameron, and produced by Sophie Dean. Drop us a line at https://www.rethinking-ed.org/contact.
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