PRX Partners with Scene on Radio to Launch MEN
Today, PRX launches a new series with Scene on Radio called MEN, focusing on an important and timely discussion. Scene on Radio tells stories that explore the human experience and American society, produced and hosted by John Biewen. The new series is a look at patriarchy — where it came from and how it works. MEN will be released in 12 episodes, exploring male dominance in its many forms, primarily in the U.S. The show will look at how and when patriarchy was constructed, how it works and what it would take to build a more equitable society. It’s co-hosted by John Biewen and Celeste Headlee (formerly of WNYC and Georgia Public Broadcasting).
In the wake of the #MeToo movement, misogyny and gender inequity are in the news now more than ever. There’s a growing focus on women’s political engagement, through grassroots activism such as the women’s marches, as well as record numbers of women running for office. MEN will make connections to these current trends but will go deeper, using documentary storytelling and expert interviews to ask questions like:
· What is patriarchy, exactly? Has it always been with us? Is it inevitable?
· How have gender roles evolved over time?
· What are stories from the past that most of us have never heard, about women (or men, for that matter) who collectively resisted patriarchy, and either succeeded in creating change or suffered backlash?
· How has science been used to bolster and justify male dominance, and what does the latest research (including sociobiology) say about the contours of sex difference?
· How can we get better at seeing patriarchy and misogyny?
· How does patriarchy intersect with other social forces, especially racism, to complicate matters?
· Are we in the midst of a real gender revolution, the beginnings of a genuine dismantling of patriarchy? How do the rapid advances in LGBTQ rights, and the increasing visibility of trans and gender queer people, figure in that trend?
· What to do? What do we all have to gain by changing, including men who could learn from post-feminist women the joys of being a whole human being?
This season will go on a journey with listeners, helping us to see more clearly powerful and pervasive forces that shape our lives but which most of us only vaguely understand.
“In many ways, the #MeToo movement is more about what men do than women. So, this series that looks at the movement through the eyes of males is crucial. This series is honest, unsparing, important and journalistically sound. If you want to truly understand the #MeToo movement, including history, biology, and cultural context, then this series is appointment listening. Not just fascinating, but also funny. It brings men into the current conversation about gender diversity.” -Celeste Headlee, MEN co-host
In episode 1, John and Celeste introduce the series with a childhood story and a quick survey of the damage done by male dominance and misogyny. They visit Deep Time to explore the latest scholarship on how, when, and why men invented patriarchy. You’ll also hear experts on human prehistory explain how and when patriarchy was invented. Listen to it now:
A Sneak Peek Inside the Next Few Episodes
Part 2- We Ain’t No Amoeba
What does the latest science say about the differences between men and women, and to what extent they’re “innate” vs. culturally taught? One anthropologist argues that women are innately superior to men and will soon surpass men in power and influence.
Part 3- The Skeleton War
Europeans inherited assumptions from the ancient world about men’s fundamental superiority to women. The Enlightenment set about throwing off old superstitions and declared universal human rights, yet somehow the patriarchy endured. The story of how that struggle went down.
Part 4- Feminism in Black and White
We tend to talk separately about the struggles for racial justice and gender equality. In this episode, John and Celeste trace the feminist movements of the 19th and 20th centuries and show how they were entangled with, and complicated by, movements for racial justice.
