Program 20.10.2011
Dorothee Frank, Moderation
Coffee & Registration
Opening Conference on Men 2011
Words of welcome by politicians, members of the Men's Counseling Center Graz, members of the University of Applied Sciences, Social Work degree programme.
Introduction to the Conference.
Study of masculinities concerning power and hegemony
Raewyn Connell introduces current issues in the study of masculinities, concerning power, hegemony, and the global scope of debate and research.
Cabaret / Comedy Show
The Styrian comedian engages his audience in laughter by his parodies and comedy characters. He presents the fine blade instead of coarse jokes. This time, Oliver Hochkofler and his “VIP-team” take a close look at the Austrian Conference on Men and the Men’s Counseling Center.
Lunch buffet 20.10.
Lunch buffet
Reflections on contemporary hegemonic masculinity
The workshop is based on an article, Raewyn Connell has published in 2010 in the Österreichische Zeitschrift für Soziologie: “Lives of the businessmen. Reflections on life-history method and contemporary hegemonic masculinity”. Based on life-history research, Connell illustrates two case studies drawn from an Australian project on corporate masculinities: One older style of local hegemonic masculinity as well as a more globally oriented modernizing managerial masculinity.
The participants of the workshop are invited to present and discuss some of their own research material (interviews, case studies).
WS2 Men in gender equality processes / equal opportunities
Workshop 2 focuses on the role of men within the gender equality process.
The concept of “complicity” as day-to-day practice within the male gender group will be discussed. Does complicity prevent equality? Why do men get stuck while trying to actively promote equality?
WS3 queer & multikultural!
Sexual orientation patterns of homosexual and bisexual men in a multicultural society.
In the book “Masculinities”, R.W. Connell describes the predominance of heterosexual men and the subordination of homosexual men by means of concrete practices. From the viewpoint of hegemonic masculinity, homosexuality is equated with femininity. Homosexual and bisexual men are denied an adequate sexuality. WS 3 deals with current gender concepts of homosexual men and how these (concepts) are influenced by immigrant or socio-economic background.
On a discursive level (media, websites, etc.) one finds the tendency to homophobic violence based on ethnicity. Does therefore commence a “war of sub-cultures” (homophobia vs. racism)? Or does one have to ask: Which are the experiences of homosexual and bisexual men belonging to ethnic or religious minority groups?
WS4 Marginalisation / Migration
This workshop deals with the relation between hegemonic and marginalized masculinities, focussing on transcultural aspects in the work on men and masculinity issues.
Topics:
- gender-specific socialization and the change of masculinity
- men seeking counseling in stressful life situations
- aim of the work on men and perspectives of action
WS5 Men’s Health
Men’s health is more and more in the focus of public perception: fitness magazines, low-cholesterol food, potence drugs…. are heavily advertised. Under the current social conditions this raises various gender-relevant questions to be discussed in this workshop: How are phenomena and problems of men’s health treated by the media? Which other relevant areas are neglected? What are the requirements of a holistic health care, and which concepts of masculinity are relevant? What is the state of health within the group of socially deprived men and what can be done? How does the criticism of harmful traditional male role models add to progressing neoliberal tendencies of individualization of social problems and their commercialization?
WS6 Emotional competences & violence
While working with violent men, it appears that many clients have difficulties observing, categorizing, accepting, coping with and positively influencing their own emotional reactions. Are deficits in coping with emotions “typically male” or is it only the resulting behaviour? The workshop tries to answer the question in how far the discussion of masculinities and gender stereotypes, either in groups or in individual settings, can influence the control of emotions.
Relations within the order of sexes
In the plenary the results from the workshops are brought together and discussed.
Participants: representatives from the workshops
15 Years Men’s Counseling Center Graz
Celebration
