Men at Work
Beyond a primal scream: the problems with trying to solve the problem of toxic masculinity
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Beyond a primal scream: the problems with trying to solve the problem of toxic masculinity
Each wave of feminism in the United States has been met with a rise of men’s groups, which have sought to “heal” men and reconnect them to traditional masculinity. These movements—such as Robert Bly’s Iron John—have attempted to adapt to or resist the societal changes that have come along with increased rights for women. Now, YouTube gurus such as Jordan Peterson are responding not only to the concept of toxic masculinity and the #MeToo movement, but to the fact that men make up the majority of the nation’s suicides and have been disproportionately affected by the opioid epidemic.
In the November cover story of Harper’s Magazine, Barrett Swanson reports on an Evryman, an organization that hopes to create a space for men to open up about past traumas and their feelings. Swanson details his personal experience during a weekend retreat, as well as the larger goals and practices of the organization. In his conversation with Harper’s web editor Violet Lucca, Swanson discusses how the organization markets itself, questions the effectiveness of catharsis as cure, and assesses the limitations of approaching all of men’s (or women’s) issues exclusively through the lens of gender.
More from Violet Lucca:
Podcast — November 6, 2019, 5:17 pm
Untangling the Brexit question with a panel of activists and leftists from around the United Kingdom
Film — May 3, 2019, 2:40 pm
Olivier Assayas’s latest film holds on to the old world while recognizing the new
Podcast — June 28, 2018, 4:19 pm
In this inaugural episode of The Harper’s Podcast, Kevin Baker and Jeremiah Moss discuss the decline of New York City
Cost of renting a giant panda from the Chinese government, per day:
A recent earthquake in Chile was found to have shifted the city of Concepción ten feet to the west, shortened Earth’s days by 1.26 microseconds, and shifted the planet’s axis by nearly three inches.
The Chevrolet Suburban sport utility vehicle was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
At Ivanwald, men learn to be leaders by loving their leaders. “They’re so busy loving us,” a brother once explained to me, “but who’s loving them?” We were. The brothers each paid $400 per month for room and board, but we were also the caretakers of The Cedars, cleaning its gutters, mowing its lawns, whacking weeds and blowing leaves and sanding. And we were called to serve on Tuesday mornings, when The Cedars hosted a regular prayer breakfast typically presided over by Ed Meese, the former attorney general. Each week the breakfast brought together a rotating group of ambassadors, businessmen, and American politicians. Three of Ivanwald’s brothers also attended, wearing crisp shirts starched just for the occasion; one would sit at the table while the other two poured coffee.