Now and Men

Can poetry change the way people see the world? Can it help men to deal with and open up about their own vulnerabilities – and help to shift ideas about manhood? We talk to 21-year-old spoken word poet Sam Browne about how it has had exactly these impacts on him, and how he is now using poetry to express his deepest feelings and struggles – and to push back against anti-feminist forces such as the...

What are militarised masculinities, and how are they influencing the many current conflicts around the world, including the US and Israel’s war against Iran? What are the main drivers of men’s involvement in armed conflict? And what does it mean to mobilise men for feminist peace? In this episode Dean Peacock reflects on the issues that underpin structural and interpersonal violence in our multi-p...

The need to engage with men and boys about issues such as consent, healthy relationships, and preventing violence and abuse is more urgent than ever at a time when world leaders such as Donald Trump and spaces like the Manosphere are projecting dominating, destructive images of masculinity around the world. This certainly applies in Canada, where the spread of far-right politics next-door in the U...

Many men are now engaging in a variety of behaviours traditionally associated with femininity – such as trying to make their bodies look good, worrying about their fertility, and opening up about their emotions. But what is driving these shifts? And to what extent do such practices challenge conventional norms of masculinity, or reinforce them? In this episode, Prof Brendan Gough discusses his wid...

Since 2021, Now and Men has been initiating conversations about changing masculinities and challenging norms. New episodes drop every month - listen wherever you get your podcasts, and share with anyone interested in men's role in gender equality! Music: ' Now is time ', courtesy of Chaps' Choir and Dom Stichbury .

Fathers on low-incomes and young fathers are often portrayed in media and politics as ‘feckless’ and ‘failing’. Father absence is blamed for a wide range of social problems, including crime, antisocial behaviour, and poor educational outcomes. These discourses have intensified in the UK in recent months with renewed assertions about a ‘crisis of masculinity’. However, Professor Anna Tarrant’s rese...

How have young feminists challenged the patriarchal culture of South Korea in recent times? How are young men reacting to the upsurge in support for feminist ideas and activism? What is the background to the dramatic conflict around gender and masculinity in the country the last few years, and how might it be resolved? Please note: This episode includes discussion about  sexual violence . On...

Is   masculinity ‘under attack’, and are boys increasingly ‘lost’? How valid are concerns about boys’ and young men’s achievement in education? What is the impact on them – and girls and young women – of the rise of the Manosphere and right-wing populism? In this episode, Prof Steven Roberts argues that the picture is much more complicated than is often presented, with, for instance, mixed ef...

What role does love have to play in transforming men and masculinities? Why is it that so many men and boys struggle to give and receive love, yet feel great hunger for it? How should we understand the complex relationship between masculinity, love, and violence – why do men enact violence towards the people we claim to love? Why do dominant notions of masculinity often conflict wit...

How do women and men suffer in different ways in wartime? How are distorted ideas about masculinity and femininity manipulated to promote and justify wars and recruit men to fight? What can be done to counter a return to patriarchal societies post-conflict? How are feminists responding to increasing militarisation in these dark times?  Over many years, Cynthia Enloe has drawn on women’s first...

How are artificial intelligence and other technologies exacerbating misogyny and undermining women’s rights and safety? What are the emerging forms of violence against women and girls being facilitated by AI, such as deepfakes and nudify apps? What is driving so many men to view and create such material, and how is it shaping their sexual attitudes and behaviours? What actions are needed to addres...

Society is obsessed with masculinity, and constantly discussing how it's 'in crisis'. But how helpful are these debates? Can masculinity be reshaped as 'positive' or 'healthy' - and should that be our focus? In a challenging new paper – 'Positive humanity, when? Is masculinity worth saving?'  – Dr Finn Mackay argues that policy aimed at saving men and alleviating their suffering does not...

Why do men still benefit from higher pay, status, and power at work? What is the ideological and cultural underpinning that sustains the gendered division of labour? What are the harmful effects of workplace inequality on poverty, health, family life and women’s status? These are some of the key issues that Professor Cordelia Fine addresses in her witty and insightful new book ...

Discussions about masculinity and violence against women have exploded into the spotlight, not least because of the widely-watched Netflix drama ‘Adolescence’. More and more men are asking: Why is ending this violence an issue for me? What can I do to be part of the solution? How can I overcome the barriers holding me back from taking action, such as feelings of defensiveness? These are some of th...

Tarang Chawla knows firsthand the devastating impacts of men’s violence, and the ripple effects it sends through families and communities – including on other boys and men. This is what led him to set up Not One More Niki, in memory of his younger sister Nikita who was murdered by her partner in 2015. Tarang is one of Australia’s most well-known and outspoken male advocates against gender-based vi...

The backlash against gender equality, or what its advocates describe with terms such as 'gender ideology' and 'wokeism', is reaching an ever-rising crescendo in Europe and countries across the globe. It poses a major threat to the hard-won achievements of the feminist movement. But what are the forces pushing the 'anti-gender movement' – and how should we respond to it? How is it manifesting itsel...

Masculinity is playing a significant yet under-discussed role in harms against animals and the environment. From hunting, to meat-eating, to driving fast cars, to burning fossil fuels, ‘man’s’ domination of nature is closely connected to gender inequality and masculine norms. In this 50th episode special, we discuss with Dr Cassie Pedersen why we urgently need to break down stereotypes sugges...

Why have male voice community choirs become more popular in the UK and beyond in recent years? How are they playing with norms of masculinity? Why is it that choirs often struggle to recruit men? What impact can they have on men’s lives and wellbeing? How are they helping men to connect and find community? And can they help us to build gender equality? In our Christmas Special for 2024, we explore...

What do we know about men’s friendships, and why have their social networks declined in the past 30 years? Why do so many find it hard to cultivate emotionally supportive friendships with each other? Why is it that men are more at risk of loneliness and social isolation than women? What are the impacts of this, both for men themselves and the women they are close to? And what can we do a...

With the US presidential election fast approaching, and the unexpected entry of Kamala Harris into the race, gender issues are central to the debate. Polls suggest women are more likely to vote Democrat, and men – including young men – more likely to vote Republican. A particular focus of both campaigns is on seeking to win men over, drawing upon different cultural narratives of masculinity. How i...

Despite the growth of discourses around ‘involved fatherhood’ and ‘work-family balance’, parenting remains highly challenging and inequitable, with expectations of parents intensifying and much of the load continuing to fall on mothers. This is despite men demonstrating in a variety of settings their capacity to engage in caregiving just as effectively as women. So what can we can do to make it ea...

For one turbulent week at the end of July this year, serious rioting broke out across around 20 towns and cities in England and Northern Ireland. Rioters attacked homes and businesses owned by immigrants, and set fire to accommodation housing asylum-seekers. The riots began near Liverpool after the horrific murder of three young girls in a neighbouring town, about which far-right supporters spread...

Professor Jeff Hearn has been engaging in academic, activist, and personal work on men, masculinities, and pro-feminism for over 45 years. So how does he reflect on what he has observed over the course of his career, and in contemporary debates? For instance, what are ‘political masculinities’ and how are they playing out in today’s turbulent political climate? Is it possible to categorise differe...

Why should we all be concerned by the content, production and dissemination of pornography today? What is the impact of the normalisation of porn culture on boys and young men? How can we help them to reject harmful and inequitable sexual behaviours and attitudes, live up to the values they hold, and build healthy, mutualistic relationships?  In this episode, youth advocate and educator Danie...

Across the globe, men tend to have a lower life expectancy than women. Although there are still significant challenges facing women’s health, on issues ranging from cancer to suicide, men are faring badly. However, a closer look reveals that this picture varies significantly across different groups of men. Why is that? What role does masculinity play in shaping health inequities among men, and the...