What can be done to change the social norms that drive the behaviors of men and boys that leave girls vulnerable? The vulnerabilities and disadvantages that girls face emerge directly out of social constructions of gender – identities, attributes, socially expected roles and the social structures set up to enforce those roles. … In bringing men and boys into the question, we want to make it clear that this is not to propose an either-or argument, of whether we should devote more time and resources to engaging men and boys in redressing gender inequalities versus working directly with girls to protect and empower them. Both must happen.
Growing up
The promising case stories presented in this report show insights of some powerful program initiatives carried out in Ethiopia, India, Nicaragua, South Africa and Sweden regarding working with boys and young men to end violence against girls and boys. Moreover, the key challenges and difficulties boys and men meet when they want to change their behaviour and attitudes and fight inequalities are also briefly presented in the report.
Key texts
Barwick, Helena (2004) Young Males: Strengths-based and male-focused approaches. Wellington, New Zealand: Ministry of Youth Development. [URL: http://www.myd.govt.nz/Publications/education/youngmalesstrengthsbaseda…]
Clarke, Margaret. (1989). The Great Divide: The Construction of Gender in the Primary School. Canberra: Curriculum Development Centre.
Connell, R.W. (1994).
Australian author Stephen Biddulph has written a best-selling book about men but Gerry Orkin believes that Manhood misses the mark.
Making boys anti-sexist will soon be on the curriculum of many school systems. "We can do even better," claims Nick Sellars.
Stephen Fisher assesses three approaches to boyswork. Please see below for the attachment, in PDF.
From boyhood comic books to soldier games to his dad's tales of combat, Tony Switzer recounts his path into the military.
Sam Pullen describes the training in privilege he received in the Boy Scouts.
Stubbornly, with determination, I resisted. I knew and experienced emotional and sexual desire from an early age as complex, broad-ranging and variable. It was and is still not a simple attraction to one sex or another. It was and is not fixed to one pattern of attraction, lust or pleasure.