Only for the Brave? Political Men and Masculinities: Change Agents for Gender Equality

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Russell Luyt ◽  
Kathleen Starck
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equality ◽  
Change Agents ◽  
Men And Masculinities

Beyond Add-Women Politics

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kara Ellerby
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equality ◽  
Global South ◽  
Male Dominance ◽  
Reproductive Justice ◽  
Marriage Equality ◽  
Formal Institutions ◽  
Policy Alternatives ◽  
Global North ◽  
Key Features ◽  
Men And Masculinities

In addition to summarizing the main findings, the conclusion also sets forth additional key features of women’s inclusion. This includes how the Global South continues to outpace the Global North in pursing policies aimed at women’s inclusion. It also explores the backlash women face as a result of these policies seeking to destabilize male dominance, in which violence is endemic rather than epiphenomenal to women’s inclusion. It also challenges the formal/informal institutional dichotomy, as informal dynamics impact all formal institutions in very gendered ways. It emphasizes the need to focus on men and masculinities, not just women, when promoting gender equality. And it offers some possible policy alternatives that would promote a more critical feminist idea of gender equality, including marriage equality, reproductive justice, transgender rights, marginalized identity rights, and disarmament.

Hegemonic Masculinity and Beyond

2012 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeff Hearn ◽  
Marie Nordberg ◽  
Kjerstin Andersson ◽  
Dag Balkmar ◽  
Lucas Gottzén ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equality ◽  
Hegemonic Masculinity ◽  
White Middle Class ◽  
The Status ◽  
History Of ◽  
1960S And 1970S ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The 1960S ◽  
Men And Masculinities ◽  
Research And Policy

This article discusses the status of the concept of hegemonic masculinity in research on men and boys in Sweden, and how it has been used and developed. Sweden has a relatively long history of public debate, research, and policy intervention in gender issues and gender equality. This has meant, in sheer quantitative terms, a relatively sizeable corpus of work on men, masculinities, and gender relations. There is also a rather wide diversity of approaches, theoretically and empirically, to the analysis of men and masculinities. The Swedish national context and gender equality project is outlined. This is followed by discussion of three broad phases in studies on men and masculinities in Sweden: the 1960s and 1970s before the formulation of the concept of hegemonic masculinity; the 1980s and 1990s when the concept was important for a generation of researchers developing studies in more depth; and the 2000s with a younger generation committed to a variety of feminist and gender critiques other than those associated with hegemonic masculinity. The following sections focus specifically on how the concept of hegemonic masculinity has been used, adapted, and indeed not used, in particular areas of study: boys and young men in family and education; violence; and health. The article concludes with review of how hegemonic masculinity has been used in Swedish contexts, as: gender stereotype, often out of the context of legitimation of patriarchal relations; “Other” than dominant, white middle-class “Swedish,” equated with outmoded, nonmodern, working-class, failing boy, or minority ethnic masculinities; a new masculinity concept and practice, incorporating some degree of gender equality; and reconceptualized and problematized as a modern, heteronormative, and subject-centered concept.

scholarly journals Masculinity and Advertisements: The Case of Nepal Television

2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Indira Mishra
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equality ◽  
Hegemonic Masculinity ◽  
Interdisciplinary Studies ◽  
Television Commercials ◽  
Beliefs And Practices ◽  
Male Roles ◽  
Men And Masculinities

The article explores the television commercials broadcasted by the Nepal Television (NTV) that have male roles to analyze how masculinity is presented in them. In Nepal, studies of men and masculinities remain a rare compared with studies of women and femininity. It is essential to analyze the representation of masculinity to understand men’s experiences, attitudes, beliefs and practices, not only to challenge men’s superiority over females, but also to create gender equality. ! e aim of this article then is to study how a hegemonic masculinity is represented and constructed within NTV commercials.  DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ctbijis.v1i1.10463   Crossing the Border: International Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies Vol.1(1) 2013; 1-10  

Top women managers as change agents in the machista context of Mexico

2017 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 321-339 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salvador Barragan ◽  
Mariana I. Paludi ◽  
Albert Mills
Keyword(s):  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Gender Equality ◽  
Women Managers ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Organizational Context ◽  
Intervention Strategy ◽  
Change Agents ◽  
Organizational Level ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Promote Gender Equality

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to focus on top women managers who act as change agents in the machista culture of Mexico. Specifically, the authors centre the attention not only on the strategies performed by these change agents to reduce inequality, but also on understanding the way in which they discursively reproduce or challenge essentialist notions of gender with respect to the cultural and organizational context. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 top women managers in Mexico who are actively involved as change agents. A feminist poststructuralist methodological framework using critical discourse analysis was used to uncover competing notions of gender and related strategies developed to promote gender equality. Findings The analysis reveals that the 12 change agents perform strategies for inclusion, and only half of them engage in strategies for re-evaluation. The authors were unable to recognize whether these change agents are engaged in strategies of transformation. These change agents also reproduce and challenge “essentialist” notions of gender. In some instances – based on their own career experiences and gendered identities – they (un)consciously have adopted essentialism to fit into the cultural context of machista society. They also challenge the gender binary to eradicate essentialist notions of gender that created gender inequalities in the first place. Research limitations/implications The experience of these 12 top women managers may not represent the voice of other women and their careers. Ultimately, intersections with class, organizational level, nationality, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation must be taken into account so to represent other women’s particular interests with respect to equality. Practical implications For those researchers-consultants who may be involved in an intervention strategy, it is important to focus on helping the change agents in reviewing and reflecting on their own “vision of gender equity”. During the strategic activities of mentoring and training, these change agents could potentially “leak” a particular “vision of gender” to other women and men. Thus, part of the intervention strategy should target the change agent’s self-reflection to influence her capacity to act as change agents. Originality/value The authors contribute to the literature on change agents and interventions for gender equality. Intervention strategies usually centre on essentialist notions of gender. The study offers potential explanations for this approach by paying attention to the process of how change agents, in their efforts to promote gender equality, may be unconsciously projecting their own identities onto others and/or consciously engaging in strategic essentialism to fit into the machista context of Mexico.

scholarly journals Negotiating change for gender equality: identifying leverages, overcoming barriers

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 297-308
Author(s):  
Marcela Linkova ◽  
Lut Mergaert
Keyword(s):  
Capacity Building ◽  
Gender Equality ◽  
Science And Technology Studies ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Change Agents ◽  
Organisational Change ◽  
Value Systems ◽  
Trading Zone ◽  
Theoretical Contribution ◽  
Barriers And Opportunities

Introduction. Institutional change through gender equality plans is today the dominant approach to promoting gender equality in higher education and research. Building on our experiences as “technical support partners” in several EU-funded projects, we reflect on how change is negotiated in a variety of contexts. Objectives. Theoretically, using Feminist Institutionalism and the Science and Technology Studies concept of the trading zone, our objective is to analyse institutional negotiations among various, differently positioned actors with diverse backgrounds, value systems and negotiating power. From a practice-oriented perspective, our aim is to demonstrate typical challenges, suggest pathways towards solutions, and identify specific negotiation skills which underscore the capacity-building needs of change agents. Methodology. For our analysis, we have selected eight information-rich case studies through purposive theory-based sampling, illustrating the different transactions in the trading zones, based on our prior knowledge of the circumstances. The methods we draw on are primarily participant observation and textual analysis of project documents. Results. The selected theoretical combination allows us to identify leverages, ways to overcome barriers and the required skills and competences. Specifically, we underscore the use of participatory and co-creation techniques, strategic framing, spotting and using windows of opportunity, and wide mobilisation of stakeholders. We highlight key features of the change process, including its processual and incremental nature, the need for constant negotiation and the capacity-building needs of change agents. Contribution. With this analysis, we contribute, firstly, to the understanding of organisational change by identifying concrete barriers and opportunities as well as considering the ways in which a shared representation of gender equality is developed. The second, theoretical contribution lies in combining Feminist Institutionalism and the concept of the trading zone, which allows us to bring to productive dialogue issues of power, processuality and the need to address both material and discursive enactments of change processes.

scholarly journals Micro Change Agents for Gender Equality: Transforming European Research Performing Organizations

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Dahmen-Adkins ◽  
Helen Peterson
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equality ◽  
Empirical Data ◽  
Knowledge Exchange ◽  
Change Agents ◽  
European Research ◽  
Collaborative Reflection ◽  
Systematic Analysis ◽  
Organizational Contexts ◽  
Monitoring Tools ◽  
Personal Motivation

This article explores the experiences of micro change agents for gender equality in seven European Research Performing Organizations in seven different countries. The micro change agents were all participants of an international collaborative project consortium, implementing gender equality plans (GEPs), and funded by the European Commission during 4 years. The analysis draws on empirical data consisting of information submitted by the micro change agents during these 4 years and collected using three different monitoring tools, developed within the project to follow the progress of the implementation efforts, but also to provide an arena for individual and collaborative reflection and knowledge exchange between the partners. The aim of the article is to present a systematic analysis of the change practices that these micro change agents experienced as useful and important for promoting gender equality in their different organizational contexts. A total of six such micro change practices are identified, emerging from the empirical data: 1. communicating, 2. community building, 3. building trust and legitimacy, 4. accumulating and using resources, 5. using and transferring knowledge, and 6. drawing on personal motivation. The findings illustrate the multifaceted character of micro change agency for gender equality, particularly in a time-limited project context with a designated funding period. The results from this study can be useful when developing gender equality strategies, policies and practices and can also be used to empower gender equality micro change agents that face challenges while trying to implement GEPs and promote structural change in any kind of institution.

scholarly journals Are men getting more emotional? Critical sociological perspectives on men, masculinities and emotions

2017 ◽  
Vol 65 (4) ◽  
pp. 779-796 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sam de Boise ◽  
Jeff Hearn
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equality ◽  
Recent Work ◽  
Social Action ◽  
Gender Relations ◽  
The Political ◽  
Sociological Research ◽  
Political Dimensions ◽  
Men And Masculinities ◽  
Conceptual Confusion ◽  
Feminist Work

Sociological research, influenced by feminist and other critical perspectives, has noted how men’s emotional inexpressiveness was influenced, and supported, by patriarchal privilege. Such approaches have argued that ‘inexpression’ needs to be broken down in order to build gender equality and improve men’s own wellbeing. Emerging research has, however, challenged the argument that men are ‘emotionally inexpressive’ on two main premises: that, as a result of feminist critiques, many men now practise ‘softer’ or ‘more emotional’ forms of masculinity; second, that emotions always influence social action and so need to be better incorporated into sociological accounts of men’s behaviour. Yet these approaches entail some conceptual confusion as to what emotions are, how they link to social action and whether men’s emotions are inherently transformative for gender relations. This article first details how emotions and masculinity have been theorized in feminist-inspired approaches. It outlines recent work on emotions, men and masculinities before arguing for an understanding of emotions that engages with both physiologically grounded and postconstructionist debates. It finally suggests incorporating a material-discursive approach to men’s emotions, through feminist work on affect, which is attentive to the political dimensions of ‘increasing emotionality’ in order to contribute to a developing field of sociological research.

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