The Men’s Movement: What does it mean to be a man?

Men’s movement is relatively new social movement in the U.S.

 Countermovement to the women’s movement

Things that you should know:



*Societal forces that have catalyzed the movement

*Psychological reasons why the movement gained strength

*Various types of the movement

*Objectives of the men who work together as brothers in the movement

Expanded Outline

I. Reasons why the men’s movement began

A. Women’s movement caused men and women to rethink their roles

i. Men react in both positive and negative ways to the new expectations they must meet at home and work.

1. some men are pleased that their wives/girlfriends work

2. New roles and expectations cause men stress, anger and confusion.

3. men wonders how they should treat women

4. some feel that they are no longer the king of the castle

B. Men’s movement began to help men support each in this time of change

i. Change- professional advances and personal freedom of women

II. Two Views of the Men’s movement

A. According to author Susan Faludi (Backlash: The undeclared war against American women), men’s movement is a backlash against the women’s movement

i. Some men feel that women are becoming too independent and powerful

ii. A similar backlash in Rome (1900 years ago), Women gained freedom (of riding in horse-drawn chariots and from wearing multicolored dresses). 195 B.C., Roman Emperor Cato expressed his fear that women had become so powerful.

iii. 7-year survey of American male attitudes in the 1980s found that no more than 5-10% of the men surveyed support women’s demands for dependence and equality (still has not changed today)

B. The men’s movement as a brotherhood of psychological support for men

i. Example: father’s rights in divorce cases. Women should not be given automatic custody of children

ii. Confusing images of men in contemporary media

1. sensitive guy like Dustin Hoffman (Tootsie)

2. involved family man like Robin Williams (Mrs. Doubtfire)

3. loving father like Steve Martin (Parenthood)

4. macho man like Arnold Schwarzenegger (The terminator)

5. caring nurturer in Kindergarten Cop

III. Origins of the crisis in masculinity

A. Changes caused by the industrial revolution during the early to mid-1900s (according to poet Robert Bly- founding father of the movement)

i. Kind of work men did changed

1. Before the civil war, 88% (of American men) were small farmers, small business owners. Men worked near their homes. Sons were learning from their fathers

2. By 1910, less than 1/3 of all men were self-employed

ii. Men no longer saw the product of their labor.

1. Sociologist Michael Kimmel argues that manhood is threatened because men no longer worked their land

2. Men became factory workers during the post-industrial revolution

iii. Men worked away from home and spent less time with their sons

iv. Young men lacked role models.

v. Now, men are concerned that they have little say in the upbringing of their children (how different is this from Taiwanese families?)

B. Effect of the women’s movement on the men’s movement

i. Men play active roles in child care and housework (women work outside the home)

ii. Men are entering occupations held by women i.e. teachers of young children, nurses

iii. Men have female colleagues whose communication and management styles differ from men’s

iv. Men started to read Robert Bly’s Iron John

C. 3 reasons for the men’s movement

i. Men’s changing roles brought about the women’s movement

ii. The industrial revolution

iii. Men’s desire to affirm the concept of manhood

IV. Forms the movement takes (non-monolithic philosophy)

A. Male Feminists- work for women’s rights and equality between the sexes

B. Men’s support groups- receive psychological support. Men learn how to express their feelings and emotions, to show sensitivity w/o being ashamed

C. Male activists- they want to get back the power they have lost

D. Mytho-poetic- identified with Robert Bly’s Iron John. Men should be initiated into manhood using mythology and poetry. Other men think that this group turn men into weaklings or wimps because they have little contact with men and too much contact with women

V. What do women think of the men’s movement?

A. Many feminists do not like the men’s movement- a way from keeping women achieve equality, advocating women’s return their housewife/motherly roles

B. Wives of men who often participate are pleased- men are learning to express their emotions and getting support from other men

VI. Difficult to define the movement simply

A. Movement is like a tree with many branches and many roots

B. Substantial impact on North American men and women as they try to adapt to their changing roles in the American society in the 21st century.