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A Short History of The Men's Movement
What ever happened to the men's movement? What the
hell are men's issues anyway?
This may surprise many readers, but during the
mid to late 1980's and for most of the 1990's there
was a movement across America, Canada and much of
Europe known as the Men's Movement. I remember it
because I was very active in it. It was largely a
response (rather than a reaction) to the Women's
movement of the same time period and was largely
supportive of it but far less vocal. Unlike the
women's movement which had a fierce political
agenda of equality and recognition, the men's
movement was unled and issue fractured. It had many
branches that spoke to many different issues such
as custodial rights, parenting, addiction, abuse,
friendship, veterans affairs, issues of male
disability, spirituality, parenting, age
discrimination, violence, prison reform, rites of
passage, gay issues, step-parenting, health issues,
career issues, and many more. Far and away the most
popular format for addressing these issues came
from the academic arena and became known as the
"Mythopoetic" movement. It was led to some large
degree by poet Robert Bly and based in the poetic
and mythological interpretation of gender reality
and guided by Jungian psychological theory and
practice. It found its greatest support in the
academic world, that was already having its own
problems relating to society on an everyday basis.
It's lack of longevity is probably laid to the fact
that it is hard to explain to a man who has just
lost his job, his wife, his passion for life, that
the solution to his problems lie in examining the
literary search for the holy grail.
All this activity followed a decade of great
social upheaval and an opening of issues for
discussion that had heretofore been labeled taboo.
It was an opportunity for men to grow and expand
under the same banner of open debate that reflected
the interests of feminist rights, desegregation and
religious tolerance. But somewhere along the way,
much like the feminist movement, it got bogged down
in social apathy and special interests and lost its
direction. It was also a victim of the negative
media which found it more profitable to base sitcom
jokes and story lines on self- denigration rather
than men's desires to understand themselves and
their world. It is very difficult to address
serious inner issues while the world is laughing at
you regardless of the fact that most of the
laughter was previously recorded and applied to the
film track. The image of bafoon has had its lasting
effect on the national male psyche.
The next major effort was, and still is, in the
area of child custody rights. This is a very
sensitive problem with thousands of men who have,
like may women, been subjected to a court system
that suffers an intellectually incestuous and
critical level of cranial-rectosis which proclaims
that under no circumstances does a man have the
capacity to be an adequate single parent. A more
argumentative position is equally visible around
the idea that being forced to give up 60 to 75
percent of what might be only a meager income to
spousal & child support serves some kind of
social purpose and is supportive in some obtuse way
of family values and fostering responsible action.
These are not easy questions and their refusal to
support easy answers attests to the attention that
needs to be applied to them for solution.
There was, however, one major positive trend
that developed out of this era. That was the
creation of a small but effective network of men's
support groups. The nature of women makes it
relatively easy for them to gather in like kinds
and discuss/process the issues that concern them.
They have, after all, been doing it since the dawn
of time as they tended the fires and children. It
is quite another story for men. Our early
forefathers spent their lives hunting. Knowing that
animals have sensitive hearing, they spoke only
when necessary. It came quite naturally to them and
became our legacy. We find it far easier to stuff,
fret and just ignore the emotional concerns that we
don't understand until we are faced with divorce
papers, unemployment or multitudes of crises of
another nature. Men's groups offer the opportunity
to look at problems in a perspective that allows
emotional responses and support but most
importantly it gives us access to other men who can
listen to us empathetically. These groups, although
not as popular as they were ten years ago, are now
the only generally available avenue for men to vent
and gain growth in community. Therapy is generally
not an available venue because of its cost and the
fact that these problems are for the most part
cultural not behavioral. Personal life coaching has
rapidly become another option, particularly because
it is openly embraced by the corporate world, but
even there the field is deficient in coaches who
can truly appreciate the needs that exist.
In a true reflection of the American way, the
lack of a unifying political agenda has doomed the
men's movement as we understand it. The only way to
cure the ills and change the relationships that rob
us all of our happiness potential is to create our
own individual movement; to begin to value personal
growth and awareness of our physical and emotional
world as a worthwhile priority; to join in
community with other like minded men to support
each other as valued, honorable, strong, willful
and successful, humans being, rather than just men
doing.
© 2008, Kenneth F.
Byers
Other Transition Issues,
Books
* * *
A permanent state of transition is man's most
noble condition. - Juan Ramon Jimenez
Ken Byers
holds a Ph.D. in psychology with an emphasis in
Men's Studies, one of the few ever awarded in the
U.S. Ken is a full time Certified Professional Life
Coach specializing in working with men in any form
of transition and an instructor of design at San
Francisco State University.
His books, "Man
In Transition" and
"Who
Was That Masked man
Anyway" are widely
acknowledged as primers for men seeking deeper
knowledge of creating awareness and understanding
of the masculine way. More information on Ken, his
work and/or subscription information to the weekly
"Spirit Coach" newsletter which deals with elements
of the human spirit in short commentary, check the
box at www.etropolis.com/coachken/
or www.etropolis.com/coachken/what.htm
or www.etropolis.com/coachken/speak.htm
or E-Mail
You are welcome to share any of Ken's columns with
anyone without fee from or to him but please credit
to the author. Ken can be reached at:
415.239.6929.
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