Calling in Men: A Review of Literature and The Case for Calling Men “in” to Prevent Violence and Advance Equity

There is a growing symphony of voices reminding us that violence and hate cannot be stopped with more violence and more hate. Cancel culture has taken a powerful hold on our society and we are seeing the damage of this perpetuation of harm. So, what other options do we have, and how can this inform efforts to engage and mobilize men? Taking a less traditional form than other rapid reviews, this review synthesizes literature written by prominent voices from equity-seeking populations, and in particular Black, Brown, Indigenous, and LGBTQ+ social justice activists including Ngọc Loan Trần, adrienne maree brown, Loretta Ross, Maisha Johnson, and B.K. Chan. These activists, scholars, and practitioners have extensive lived experiences working in movements to bring about prosocial social change and have seen the value and necessity of a compassion and love in the processes of holding people accountable. Through an exploration of what calling in (and the similar concept of compassionate accountability) is and what it entails, this review offers key insights for how a calling in approach can be applied to work with men to end cycles of violence and advance gender equality, justice, diversity, and inclusion. 

To download the report in PDF, click here.

For more information on other approaches, review FAQs on the 9 promising approaches for practitioners engaging men in violence prevention and gender equality

Also see: Shift, the Project to End Domestic Violence, Canada