Male Studies - A new academic discipline

As MotherofTruth is calling it (I'm unfamiliar with the term but I like it), equity feminism should work to be an umbrella term under which both male and female studies can take place. At my college, I find that there is a pretty equal consideration in terms of classes and class topics. But I imagine it isn't a common thing.

At the same time, I think there's a fine line between de-manning men and de-masculinizing them. As the beneficiaries of an unequal system, men have historically had the ability to obtain and hold positions of power and modes of behavior that further marginalize other people, like women. By women becoming enfranchised, men by default would lose what appears to be "normal" for them to have in terms of power. At the same time, I agree that in many ways culture has been a bit too critical of men and created a sense of struggle that far exceeds what is right. Hopefully through continue efforts to create Men's Studies a more acessible academic discipline, a happy medium will be reached where both men and women will be finally equal.

I have to say I was surprised by this post. It actually made a point without baiting one side or the other. :P

I am in some ways reminded of Betty Friedan and to a lesser extent Gloria Steinham when I read this post though--both of these women did not expressly hate men they just disliked the stereotypes or roles that women were being forced to play.

And I think we have reached a time culturally when men need to step up and begin to say those same things--its not that they hate women--its that they hate being stereotyped into traditional male roles without any room for individuality. For example, in general, men in American society have been forced to play the role of wage earner or husband or big bad ass killer of whatever makes women and children go eeek for so long that if they don't conform to these roles absolutely they are suddenly outcasts or the dreaded sissy or possibly even considered to be gay.

And until I read this article I was not really able to articulate why the other posts about legal rulings in domestic violence irritated me. And I concluded its because I am tired of our culture's silly use of logic. Seriously using the fact that societal bias exists against one group to say that the same bias is okay if applied to another group is silly and completely misses the point as well as closes off all honest debate while everybody defends their own bias or beliefs against other posters bias or beliefs. For example its gotten to the point where people are seriously arguing that because its snowing a lot in DC we should all become creationists because of course science is now been disproved around the issue of how the earth formed. (whereas the real point is something is happening within the US (and around the world) with regard to weather patterns that needs to be addressed--and whether God or science created the Earth however many centuries ago is not relevant to the discussion).

The other track is for me anyway there is a need to discuss gender bias and its consequences on all our social interactions and systems without getting bogged down in well this is feminism or this is misandry--because once the discussion gets off track of labeling us by gender or fighting over which gender is more (fill in the blank) than the other gender we miss the bigger picture that everybody is a human being and that neither gender fits nicely into the perfect box we would like them to.

On a side note: Jane Elliott the woman who conducted the first blue eyes/brown eyes study is worth a mention too because in some ways the whole idea of believing stereotypes about people based on their eye color and treating them differently because of it--is similar to getting off track and believing stereotypes about the opposite gender from our own gives us a right to judge them or pigeonhole them strictly based on that one defining factor.

I've always been an advocate for a program like this, why have just feminist or female studies and not male studies? It's absurd.

Some schools (like mine) have the gall to call their programs "gender studies," but there is no male aspect to it.

Hopefully the conference will be productive.

Masculinity has come to be vilified in our culture. At some point a struggle for equal rights simply becomes a struggle for superiority. Humanity has never been very good at finding balance.

There has to be a mutual respect between the sexes.
There will always be bad apples in the barrel. We can't lump everyone into a specific category.
It all has to start at home. Even if someone came from an abusive home situation striving to do the right thing for their own kids has to be the goal. If we each work on improvements at our own level things can get better and will.
Love can't cure everything but showing, at least, the ones you are responsible for you truly care can start a healing process the goes forward into the next generation(s).

as a feminist woman, I'd like to say that I think this conference is a good idea. All groups deserve representation, and in terms of education I think there is certainly a benefit to be found in the study of the group that has been in power since the dawn of mankind...men. I think it's dangerous, though, to label feminists and all women as suppressing and dominating and "sensitivizing" men...everyone deserves a voice, and independence, and freedom of thought. If you allow yourself to be poured into a mould that's contrary to your true nature (in this case, you argue that the role men have been shoved into is contrary to their true masculinity), then that's your fault.

I was sexually abused as a child (by men) and raped as a young adult (by a man) and still I do not blame all men for this. It is aberrant behaviour (though based in societal problems) not the actions of a group (men). Those among you (jjammedjr, regjoeshmo etc) who have been hurt by women should realize that you've been dealing with a particular woman (or a string of bad ones) - women haven't ruined things, we've just all collectively taken a turn for the worse.

hhmmm

interesting

I was married for 22 yrs. Had and raised 5 kids. When I became physically broken (degenerative joint disease) and suffered from extreme depression because of the chronic and never ending pain, she left me for a man 17 yrs younger than me. I never cheated or raised a hand to her and yet she truly started to hate me. She cleaves to this kid and praises him for the same things that she held me in contempt for. (working all the time...yada yada yada)

Makes no since.

I would like to attend this conference.

Great news! Finally some progress is being made on this issue. Masculinity has been destroyed in the past fifty years leaving males without any guidance on how to take on constructive roles in American life. And while I am speaking from a minority perspective, fatherlessness, high incarceration rates, low education levels, and high suicide rates are epidemics facing males in all facets of U.S. society.

Today gender equality issues for men are the same gender equality issues women where facing 50 years ago. The roles have been reversed. What are good feminists doing about it?

Jane Cannary, "I don't drink where I'm the only one in the room with balls..." Deadwood.

Misandry. So there is a name for it!
This started back in the 60's, maybe even the 50's with the Beatnik's....
Making men wussy!. Turning them into 'The touchy, feely men'!
Hate for WASP's especially. Everything was blamed on White Men. Those European bastard's the *effed everything and everyone.
Now how prejudice is that? Blame it all on one segment of the population.
White, protestant men! Manly men....For 50 years we've listened to how war mongering, wife beating, in control bully white men have kept everyone else down!
Well, it's time to take back the world! Sorry, Jimmy Carter, wussy men are not attractive!

Its good to know that there is some headway being made on these issues.