Working through resistance in engaging boys and men towards gender equality and progressive masculinities

Abstract

Over the last two decades, a focus on challenging and transforming dominant forms of masculinity and engaging boys and men towards gender equality and healthy masculinities has permeated South African social and health sciences and the humanities. This focus on men and boys has also been evident in intervention and activist work. However, the turn to boys, men and masculinities has not gone without resistance, contestation and contradictions. A range of localised and global realities has frustrated much of the enthusiasm for rapid, sweeping and concrete changes regarding gender justice and the making of progressive masculinities. Among the discursive and material forces that oppose work that engages boys and men are those to do with income-related issues, race and racism, cultural traditions and gender itself. Because of this, it is contended that engagement with boys and men needs to consider not only gender but also economic inequality, poverty and unemployment, divisions created by race, and struggles around tradition. This paper discusses these forces that undermine and counteract work with boys and men and how we might work through resistance in engaging with men and boys.

Gender norms about romantic relationships and sexual experiences among very young male adolescents in Korogocho slum in Kenya

“…Gender norms, which are widely understood to refer to social expectations of appropriate roles and behaviors for males and females (Ratele 2015;Ridgeway and Correll 2004;Ryle 2011), are increasingly being recognized as drivers of health and well-being. The scripts for appropriate behavior based on one's sex are informed by collective beliefs about what most people do (descriptive norms), perceptions of what people ought to do (injunctive norms) and observing what popular people do (cohesive norms) (Addis and Mahalik 2003).…”

“…Whereas extensive research has been conducted on how gender norms affect girls' and women's health (Firestone et al 2003; Nyamhanga and Frumence 2014; Ratele 2015), there is little, but growing, focus on the interrelationship between gender norms and men's sexual health (Addis and Mahalik 2003;Ratele 2015;Shefer et al 2015), especially among early adolescents (10-14 years), also referred to as very young male adolescents (VYMA) (De Meyer et al 2017;Gevers et al 2013;Kågesten et al 2016;Ray et al 2012). A systematic review on gender attitudes in early adolescence found that boys endorse gender norms that promote inequalities between men and women (Kågesten et al 2016).…”

“…Social and cultural expectations may prevent men from protecting themselves from sexual risks without jeopardizing their masculine identities (Izugbara and Undie 2008;Ratele 2015;Shefer et al 2015). It is therefore important to understand, at an early age, how gender norms may affect males' sexual health and behaviors.…”

Engaging with men and masculinities in fragile and conflict-affected states

“…act of broader class-based or other identity-based resistance and needs to be addressed in programming rather than ignored (McGeeney, 2015;Ratele, 2015). Resistance may also be linked to notions of gender equality being seen as an ostensibly "western" import, rather than being inherent to local belief systems.…”

Mans se rol in die stryd om gendergeregtigheid: 'n Historiese oorsig van antifeminisme en profeminisme

“…Daar is verskeie redes -sowel pragmaties as prinsipieel -om mans betrokke te maak by die stryd om gendergeregtigheid. Verskeie navorsingsprojekte het aangetoon dat die insluiting van mans (en seuns) tot houdings-en gedragsveranderinge met betrekking tot onder meer seks en voortplanting, lei tot hulle interaksie met hul kinders en geweld teenoor vroue (Ratele 2015). 'n Pragmatiese rede wat deur Sweetman (2013) aangevoer word, is dat mans se betrokkenheid ʼn bykomende strategie in die stryd om gendergeregtigheid bied.…”