Race, Ethnicity, Difference

From boxer Mike Tyson to the late superstar Michael Jackson. From O. J. Simpson to more recently disgraced serial philanderer Tiger Woods, everywhere you look, it seems that some Black man somewhere is under the unrelenting public microscope for some sort of personal transgression. Moreover, these personal missteps seem to be magnified by an ever carnal, voyeuristic media all too eager to propagate long held stereotypes of men of color, in particular, black men as deviant, psychotic menaces to the larger society.

Sonke Gender Justice Network and the MenEngage Alliance recently held a weeklong symposium in Johannesburg Oct 5-9th to profile research, programmes and policies related to efforts to engage men and boys in achieving gender equality and to promote greater dialogue and shared action between women's rights organizations and organizations working with men and boys for gender equality.

Hi xyonliners!

...and some stories are shared between the two.

The study of men and masculinities (SMM) is gaining recognition as an interdisciplinary field of academic inquiry (Kimmel, Hearn, & Connell, 2005).
SMM originated in and remains largely sympathetic to feminist concerns. It is a constructive response to the diverse changes in men’s lives induced by the ongoing project of women’s liberation, as also by significant shifts in the economy (e.g., the transition from fordism to post-fordism) and society (e.g., changes in the structure of the family). The consequent disruption of the gender roles (e.g., ‘breadwinner’ and ‘protector’) traditionally assigned to men caused a crisis of hegemonic, patriarchal masculinity.

This new report is the most comprehensive resource available on men's sexual and reproductive behavior and needs, encompassing men in 45 developing and developed countries from sexual initiation through marriage and parenthood.

See below for the report in PDF. Or see here for versions in Spanish.

This paper explores how to address gender based violence in ways that help empower women and reduce gender inequalities in the context of Papua New Guinea (PNG). It provides an insight into gender-based violence in PNG, including the causes, extent and the social impacts of gender based violence in the community. It concludes with key lessons and recommendations on how to address the issue in ways that engage both men and women.

Please see below for the report, in PDF.

My thanks to Anxious Black Woman for reminding readers about two of many intersections of Black history, Nazi atrocity, and the matter of not forgetting genocide is not only in the past.

Her post made me think about the on-going ways in which genocide (which always includes gynocide) is invisibilised cross-culturally, across eras, and by global media.

A relatively young white man who appreciates many of the postings on this blog asked me to define what I mean by "a white man".

I'll attempt to do so here.