Men's Movements

and then men reacted...

Men’s Movements
-Many men lived in privilege based on their biological sex, however, this privilege was based on ethnicity, race, social class, age, physical ability, and sexual orientation
-Frederick Douglas, James Mott, Henry Blackwell—advocated women’s suffrage.
-Max Eastman 1910 founded Men’s League for Women’s Suffrage
3 developments that challenged traditional men’s roles: 1.technological advances 2. distrust of established institutions 3. women’s movement
-1960 convergence of women’s rights movement, antiwar movement, and the new left wing movement
-feminism forced men to reconsider men’s roles
-1970s men’s movement (or trend, rather) involved consciousness raising groups, focused on individual and group growth
-til mid ‘80s, one guiding ideology: the elimination of the belief that one sex is superior to the other
-1960s and 1970s- fathers’ rights in divorce and child custody cases. (At first men got custody most of the time be they took the possessions from the marriage, but then at the turn of the century women were viewed as more important to young children than men, so women were awarded more custody then men.)
-Andrew Kimbrell- says that it’s important to change our culture’s view of men and fatherhood.
-Mythopoetic movement- men are encouraged to seek out different parts or roles within themselves.
-Robert Bly- help men find the “community inside the psyche” 1990
-promote men’s self-discovery and masculinity thru nature and tribal rituals
-Million Man March- Oct 16, 1995- 400,000 men, Washington D C. Organized by head of the nation of Islam, Louis **rally the black community and strengthen black families by emphasizing the role of fathers
-Bill McCartney and Dave Wardell—the Promise Keepers. held first conference in July 1991, 4,200 men.
-“Christ-centered ministry dedicated to uniting men thru vital relationships to become Godly influences in their world”
-Promise Keepers concerns some feminists bc they think that they are trying to return men to their “rightful” place at the head of the family.

· Profeminists (or male feminists) worked to make their behavior match their egalitarian attitude. They believe that men and women should have the same privileges, opportunities, rights, roles, and societal status. They fight for equal pay, men embracing their feelings, and ending violence against women and men.
· Masculinist movements believe that men are the ones who suffer from gender discrimination. They want to restore pride in being “real men” (tough, rugged, individual, macho, self-reliant). They believe that men are oppressed by military drafts, shorter life spans, more health problems, and unfair child custody laws. (include Mythopoetic movements and Promise Keepers)
· Antifeminsim opposes any measures that advance women’s equality, status, rights, or opportunities. First tried to prevent women’s right to vote, then stressed the conventional view of women as sex objects, then stressing morality and submission.

· If women have equal rights, then why one woman in four the victim of assault by a man? Why do women make 86 cents to every dollar that men make for the same jobs?