Helping Men Grow Through Positive Narratives

Let’s replace the negativity around masculinity with something men can look up and forward to.

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

This is a draft of a report I’ve been compiling as my new NGO, PathForge. It will be distributed across European NGOs working with boys and men to inform their practice. I’d be grateful if you have the time to read and offer any comments.

Overview

Many men today feel lost, left behind, and uncertain of their place in a world that has been rapidly changing. Progressive movements fighting for gender justice have made significant gains, mostly focusing on calling men out and dismantling oppressive social norms and power structures. They have been less effective at calling men in or building new norms and structures which could help them forge new identities in the more equal world. Other voices have filled this vacuum, offering men not only certainty and solutions to their problems, but also a sense of community, purpose, and identity — albeit through doubling down on oppressive and outdated gender norms and values.

If we want a more equitable and peaceful future, we need to fill this vacuum ourselves — with positive, inclusive narratives that help men grow into new roles in ways that benefit themselves and others alike. Narratives…