Apologizing can be one of the most difficult acts, and one of the most powerful in showing our ability to empathize, to care, and to hold ourselves accountable. Apologies are often empty words, focusing on intention rather than reception. When we acknowledge that we were wrong–regardless of intention–that we hurt someone, that we acted out… Keep reading...
“The question remains about how to bring boys and men along in this ambitious work. Male violence is not simply a behaviour that can be turned on or off, but rather an entire complex of norms, values and practices with deep connections to the social, political and economic order. For men and boys, abandoning violence… Keep reading...
Terry Crews doesn’t necessarily look like what we think of when someone says, “feminist.” All the more reason that Crews is an adamant messenger of feminist values, actively working to disempower stereotypes of masculinity. Crews challenges the notion of male pride in an effort to encourage empathy and understanding. By challenging the concept of gender… Keep reading...
bell hooks asserts that the only emotion men are empowered to express in patriarchal culture is anger. Boys are not encouraged to feel and express a range of emotions, and are often told that fear, sadness, insecurity, or loneliness are signs of weakness and “unmanly.” As a result, many men grow up not knowing how… Keep reading...
Like David Bowie before him, Prince helped liberate masculinity from rigid gender stereotypes and constraints by embodying a fabulous, sexy, and defiantly non-conforming identity. Prince’s identity was maybe perfectly summated in his 1984 song,“I Would Die 4 U,” which features the lyric: “I’m not a woman. I’m not a man. I’m something that you’ll never… Keep reading...
Domestic violence and sexual violence are ultimately acts of power and control, which can be embodied and enacted in a variety of ways. It can be difficult to see our own relationships as violent or abusive if our partner does not use physical force against us. In this article, Kristina Brandt tells the story of… Keep reading...
To get to the root of rape culture, and to create systemic changes to sexism and patriarchal domination, it is not sufficient to blame the media, or music, video games, or alcohol as the cause of violent behavior. Rather, we have to look at the ways entitlement and violence are socialized in boys as they… Keep reading...
I know that as a child I watched Mister Rogers. But today, I couldn’t tell you what the show is about. I could sing some of the theme song, and I know he changed his shoes and put on a cardigan. But after reading these quotations, many of them from his book, I know that… Keep reading...