Now and Men

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_3Follow Jens on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jensvantricht LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jensvantricht/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jens.vantricht.7We 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)

Richard Bliss, an artist and tailor, explores masculinity through the process of making shirts. He discusses societal pressures on men, engages in conversations about masculinity, and challenges gender norms through his textile art. Bliss also brings working-class histories to life in museums and highlights the needs of older gay men in care homes.

Angela Saini, author of 'The Patriarchs: How Men Came to Rule', discusses the origins and embedded nature of patriarchy in societies. Topics include exploring gender diversity in different societies, the impact of colonization on matrilineal societies, advancements in archaeological and genetic evidence, and the assumptions and connections of patriarchy worldwide.

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-voxThe 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-strikeThe '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-lawHe 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-73b711b6412c729ec1a320f0f21d60f9Hilario 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/hilariosaezLinkedIn: 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/MenEngageIberiaMenEngage Alliance: https://menengage.orgFundación Iniciativa Social: https://fundacioniniciativasocial.es - @fis_tweetRed de Hombres por la Igualdad: https://redhombresigualdad.orgBook 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-womenFootage from Rubiales's infamous speech: https://www.theguardian.com/football/video/2023/aug/25/luis-rubiales-refuses-to-resign-spanish-fa-president-videoHilario 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-marchListeners 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-popeAnd episode 22 with Dan Guinness, which discusses masculine pressures within professional sport: https://now-and-men.captivate.fm/episode/beyond-equalityWe 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)

‘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/10.1108/9781839822544Find out more about Lisa’s work: https://www.port.ac.uk/about-us/structure-and-governance/our-people/our-staff/lisa-sugiuraFollow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/lisa_sugiuraLinkedIn: 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.comShe is a Fellow of the Institute for Research on Male Supremacism: https://theirms.orgRead their recommendations for media reporting on Incels: https://theirms.org/forjournalistsIn 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/10.1177/1077801221996453And the book by Laura Bates, ‘Men Who Hate Women’: https://www.simonandschuster.co.uk/books/Men-Who-Hate-Women/Laura-Bates/9781398504653Lisa also mentioned the work of Prof Rachel Pain on 'everyday terrorism': https://doi.org/10.1177/0309132513512231We 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, an expert in engaging men and boys, discusses the opportunities and challenges in this field. He explores topics such as preventing violence and abuse, building gender equality, promoting fatherhood, and addressing online misogyny. He also examines the link between pornography and violence and provides advice for parents on addressing these issues with their children.

Prof Sanjay Srivastava and Dr Romit Chowdhury discuss masculinity and urban life in India and beyond, exploring topics such as nationalism, consumerism, violence against women, mobility, and relations between men. They delve into their research on gender, cities, transport, and mobility, focusing on footpath pornography, men's harassment of women, working-class men's struggle for respectable breadwinner masculinity, joy riding, and transport dynamics in India.

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/10.1007/978-3-031-19507-5Find out more about her research: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kadri-Aavik and https://www.etis.ee/CV/Kadri_Aavik/engWe 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-thymThe UK Vegan Society - https://www.vegansociety.comCarol 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

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.orgCALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) can be contacted on 0800 58 58 58 from 5pm-midnight - https://thecalmzone.netThe youth charity Papyrus can be contacted on 0800 068 4141 or email pat@papyrus-uk.org - https://papyrus-uk.orgIn the US, call/text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline on 988 - https://988lifeline.orgIn Australia, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 - https://www.lifeline.org.auOther international helplines can be found at https://befrienders.orgJonathan 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-jonathanFollow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/j_scourfieldRead his paper, ‘Suicidal Masculinities’, in the journal Sociological Research Online (2005): https://www.socresonline.org.uk/10/2/scourfield.htmlHe 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 StatisticsPSHE = Personal, social, health and economic education‘Lonely at the Top’ by Thomas Joiner (2011) - https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780230341111/lonelyatthetop

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.comThe ‘Men for Democracy’ campaign: https://menfordemocracy.comRead Jackson’s commentary pieces at Ms Magazine: https://msmagazine.com/author/jkatz/Follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jacksontkatzInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/jacksontkatzLinkedIn: 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/KTvSfeCRxe8We 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)