Emotional restraint was the norm for the bereaved during and after the Second World War. Displays of individual grief were discouraged, and overshadowed by a wider concern for mass bereavement. There ...is limited archival evidence of the suffering that fathers of sons killed in action endured. This article draws upon and analyses a powerful memoir written by my grandfather, lamenting the death of his only son killed in action near the end of the War. While most men contained their emotions in such circumstances, this extended lament expresses a range of deep feelings: Love and care for the departed son, tenderness towards other family members, guilt at sending his son away to boarding school, loss of faith in (Christian) religion, and a sense of worthlessness and personal failure. Of particular interest is the impact of geographical distance over which this narrative is played out, and what it reveals about the experience of one white British middle-class family living overseas, but strongly interconnected with ‘home’ (and specifically Scotland). It also documents the pain of prolonged absence as a result of war; often boys sent ‘home’ to board were separated from their parents for much of their childhood, and were forced to ‘become men’—but not as their parents had envisaged. The article concludes by exploring the implications of this private memoir and what it reveals about memoir, masculinity, and subjectivity; gender and grieving; connections with ‘home’; and constructing meaning after trauma.
Observable anxieties have been developing about the position of boys and young men in contemporary society in recent years. This is expressed as a crisis of masculinity, in which place is often ...implicitly implicated, but is rarely considered for its role in the shaping of young men’s practices, trajectories and aspirations. Drawing on research conducted with young people who accessed a range of social care support services, this article argues that transition means different things for young men in different locales and that local definitions of masculinity are required to better understand young men’s lives and the opportunities available to them. The authors argue that home life, street life, individual neighbourhoods, regions and nations all shaped the young men’s identities and the practices they (and the staff working with them) drew on in order to create successful futures and ‘safe’ forms of masculinity. It is suggested that this place-based approach has the potential to re-shape the ‘crisis’ discourse surrounding masculinity and the anxieties associated with young men.
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Some have argued that more men should play a role in ending violence against women - but what do we know about those men who are already ...doing so?
Using case studies from Spain, Sweden and the UK, this book highlights those men who are already taking action. Examining the social, cultural, political and economic factors that support men to take a public stance, the authors explore what we can learn from their experiences in order to help build the movement to end violence against women.
This important study will inform scholars and students of sociology and gender studies, as well as social movements and organisations working to involve and engage men and boys in achieving gender equality.
"EPUB and EPDF available Open Access under CC-BY-NC-ND licence. Using case studies from Europe and the UK, this book highlights those men who are taking action to eradicate violence against women. ...Examining the factors that support men to take a public stance, the authors also demonstrate what we can learn from their experiences to help build the movement to end violence against women. This important study will inform grassroots movements working to involve and engage men and boys in building gender equality."
The perspectives of marginalised young men on what they value in relationships with social care workers are under‐researched and have not received adequate attention within policy and practice ...literatures. Moreover, problematic assumptions about gender pervade much political and cultural commentary. Research findings from a study of 50 young men, aged between 16 and 25, attending a range of social care services, are highly significant in this context. They highlight young men's investment in a language of care and respect and their rejection of categorical presumptions. However, the services were steeped in practices and understandings of their marginalisation and offered important opportunities for recognition.
The perspectives of marginalised young men on what they value in relationships with social care workers are under-researched and have not received adequate attention within policy and practice ...literatures. Moreover, problematic assumptions about gender pervade much political and cultural commentary. Research findings from a study of 50 young men, aged between 16 and 25, attending a range of social care services, are highly significant in this context. They highlight young men's investment in a language of care and respect and their rejection of categorical presumptions. However, the services were steeped in practices and understandings of their marginalisation and offered important opportunities for recognition.
This article is based on a study that was commissioned from the Swedish non-government organisation, Men for Gender Equality, by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE). The aim of the ...research was to map stakeholders - including public authorities, research centres, civil society organisations, social partners, and individual experts - working to engage men in gender equality work in all 27 Member States and at European level. Drawing on existing scholarship in the field of men and masculinities, the article outlines the current regional and national context, and the main findings of the research that were published as a report by the EIGE. The article examines the extent and nature of the work, identifying 241 organisations working on themes such as gender equality, violence prevention, fatherhood/caregiving, health, gay/bisexual and transgender issues, and education and learning. The greatest number were found in Sweden and the UK, and the fewest in Central and Eastern Europe. The article highlights different perspectives on the benefits of involving men in gender equality initiatives and examines stakeholder views of the obstacles to this work. It concludes with some observations on ways forward.
A key aim of the Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law is to link legal issues and the social context, drawing attention to key aspects of contemporary debates about masculinities and fatherhood. ...We then outline the contours of the rich territory covered by the in-depth articles that follow. Adapted from the source document.
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