«Toxic masculinity» is a catchphrase that has gained traction in the wake of the #metoo movement. But what exactly does it mean? And what are the benefits and drawbacks of using the term? At worst, it may encourage a wholesale disparagement of men. At best, the term helps to highlight harmful patterns of behaviour that many men end up emulating, thereby re-enacting cultural norms governing male gender identity. Colloquial sayings such as “Boys don’t cry”, “Man up!”, or “Bros before Hoes” provide poignant examples of the norms in question. What harm do they do? Why do men engage in such pernicious patterns of behaviour? How to change the relevant cultural norms? And what does the future hold for men, and gender relations more generally? These are some of the questions we will be addressing with:
• Anika Thym, Gender researcher and member of the working group “Transformation of Masculinities” of the Swiss Association for Gender Studies
• Christoph Gosteli, Men’s counsellor at mannebüro züri and co-host of the podcast “Wurst-Käse-Salat” on contemporary masculinities
• Fabien Giauque, co-author of the report “Le coût de la virilité en Suisse” (Rethinking Economics Lausanne, 2023)
• Léane Vota, co-author of the report “Le coût de la virilité en Suisse” (Rethinking Economics Lausanne, 2023)
The speakers will address the audience in English, thus passive knowledge of English is required. The audience, however, may ask questions in German or French. The hosts are:
• Andreas Heise, Café Philo(u), Philosopher, librarian, and former coordinator at männer.ch
• Lan Tran, Café Philo(u), Social Innovation Enabler