College Men, Masculinities and Student Government

When you hear the saying, “just do it,” what comes to your mind?  Is it a Nike commercial?  A friend telling you to do something you are afraid to do?  What about a slogan for an election campaign?  What message do we see in the three simple words, just do it.  It is commanding, authoritative and pressuring.  A pressure to take charge and be the best.

Our families have a lot to do with the values, morals and feelings we hold on issues and topics.  It is not until a young man leaves home that they can be a separate entity from their family.  They can fully test external factors and decide on their own what values they want to uphold.  Joining a club or organization is a way for men to explore who they are.  This could be joining a sport, a fraternity or a service based organization.  For some men, this is running for student government.  Student government is an entity that works with administration, faculty and the students to better the campus community.  What a great way to obtain power!  Power is a masculine portrayed quality (Kimmel, 2010).  Could this be why our college student government associations are male dominated? According to Patricia Vanderbilt (2012), student governments are male-dominated, out numbering woman by two-thirds.  This mirrors male dominated positions of power in United States government (White House, 2012).  Male students are running for positions with confidence that they will be elected or appointed, some even feeling entitled saying that it is a man’s realm (Kimmel, 2008).

So, why are our male students really running and joining student government?  Capraro (2010) discuss Green’s institutions of adventure.  Adventure can be associated with hunting, sports, fighting, or travel.  Any type of adventure is considered masculine (Capraro, 2010).  Taking a look at society today many things in the media are targeting men to explore and create their own adventures.  Movies that appeal as adventurous to men are Indiana Jones, Spiderman or even The Hangover.  It is thrilling going to Vegas for a weekend with your best friends and living by the motto, “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.”  If men are not acting on adventure, they are seeking it in other forms.  Men like to shop at outdoor adventure stores such as Cabela’s or Gander Mountain even if they do not use what they buy.  Men still thrive off of the thought of going out into the woods on an adventure.  Politics are also classified as an adventure.  Men are allowed force to assert power and identity by society (Capraro, 2010).   Adventure is daring, thrilling and can create a feeling of adrenaline.  Men seek positions in student government so they can make a difference, change their institutions communities by trying new things and can be in charge.

At my previous institution, the men did not dominate student government.  This university is a Catholic institution with 4,100 undergraduates with the majority of students being white and from out-of-state.  The institution has a female-to-male ratio of 60-to-40.  There are sixty-five student government positions in which men hold only seven of the positions.  For the last four years, a female has held the student body president position.  I had the opportunity to speak with the man who is currently the senior class president.  For the purpose of confidentiality I will call him Ben. Ben, who is a straight, White male, joined student government his sophomore year by receiving encouragement from fellow male peers on the student government board who said, “just do it.”  Ben was looking for a leadership position on campus and saw joining as an opportunity to build his identity.  Ben stated, “I am able to make a difference.”  He enjoys putting on programs for his classmates and seeing students enjoy them.  Ben wants to “make college enjoyable for everyone.”  Ben also likes that not only can student government affect the campus, but impact the community around them.

I asked Ben if he saw being part of student government as an adventure.  He discussed how joining was certainly an adventure because he was not sure what to expect.  The thought of uncertainly creates the feeling of adrenaline.  He pointed out that each year is a new adventure.  As a group, they try new things and go into different areas they are not use to.  They become focused on different ideas as they change class years.  Currently a senior, Ben is focusing on large scale programming and planning events such as Senior Pub Nights and Senior Week. He is also focusing on designing events to help seniors prepare and get ready for “the real world.”  Targeting the men in college to prepare for the next stage in their life and to navigate out of Guyland is important (Kimmel, 2008).  This requires them to transition and accept the real world while they are still in emerging adulthood.  This is a very difficult task.

Ben makes the most out of being the only male on the Executive Board, which is something that other men struggle with.  Ben mentioned it is nice because he has developed a friendship with everyone and he has the most experience, so others will seek advice from him.  I asked Ben if he felt powerful holding the top position in student government.  Ben said, “I have the power to change things, but that doesn’t make me feel powerful.”  Reflecting on last year when the Executive Board was half males and half females, Ben said there is not a difference to the group dynamics and that it depends on how well the student body president facilitates the discussion.  Ben stated, “It comes down to leadership styles.”

When we look at why Ben joined student government, he did not see it as a way to gain power but he did see it as a new territory to explore.  He had encouragement from his parents to be active in the campus community and saw pressure from his friends to “just do it.”  Ben was looking for a leadership position, a way to develop his identity and to be a part of something bigger than his self. Colleges need to support and help these men discover who they are, whether they are the majority or minority of the institution.  We need to help them become better people and to make better decisions.  Even if men are the majority engaging in student government, men still need support.  Leadership positions such as student government are only a small fraction of the men on campus.  What about the men in the middle that we never talk to?  How do we engage these men?  How do we help them find who they are?  Sometime we need to ask our students or even ourselves, “Why just do it?  Why do I want to do this?”  Other times, we need to simply ask, “Why not?”

 

References

Capraro, R. L. (2010). Why college men drink. In Harper, S. R. & Harris, F., III (2010).  College men and masculinities: Theory, research, and implications for practice (pp. 239-257).  San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Kimmel, M. (2008).  Guyland: The perilous world where boys become men.  New York, NY:
            Harper.

Kimmel, M. S. (2010).  Masculinity as homophobia.  In Harper, S. R. & Harris, F., III (2010).  College men and masculinities: Theory, research, and implications for practice (pp. 23-31).  San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Vanderbilt, P. (2012). College student government: Where are the women?. Huffington Post. Retrieved September 25, 2013 from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/.

White House (2012).  The Cabinet.  Retrieved from http://www.whitehouse.gov/.

Erin Murphy is an Academic Support Coordinator in Residence Life at the University of Maine.  Erin received a BA in Social Work from Sacred Heart University and is a current graduate student at The University of Maine enrolled in the Student Development in Higher Education Program.

A Different Kind of Superhero

What types of roles do men feel that they must take in our society today? If they are anything like what society expects a “normal” man to be, men will try to strive for being a “superhero” type figure, a Marvel character sketched into a 20-page comic book. Take a look at the strips above and take a moment to think of what this representation may indicate for men.

The way in which you may view these images in comparison to others may vary. I am assuming, however, they might all be along the same lines of what a typical Superhero stands for: a strong man.

The Gender Role Conflict (GRC) is a “psychological state where gender roles have negative consequences or impact on a person or others” (O’Neil, Helms, Gable, David & Wrightsman, 2010 p.32).  The GRC model can be identified in six patterns that relate to societal gender role norms and the fear of men being seen as less masculine. The six patterns are identified as being restrictive emotionality, homophobia, socialized control, power and competition, restrictive sexual and affectional behavior, obsession with achievement and success and health care problems (O’Neil et al., 2010, p.34). This model is important to identify because of the significance in understanding that social expectations of gender behaviors have an effect on both men and women. Specifically within our focus here is the effect that it may have on college men and their willingness to ask for help when they need it. From the six patterns above we conclude that the fear of appearing less masculine is related to the vocalization, or lack thereof, of feelings and the display of emotions in men. In other words, college men are socialized to believe that they should be strong enough to handle everything on their own.

Being reluctant to show or express feelings may be related to whether or not services for all students in higher education are being used. I propose that there are disparities in men seeking help among academic and psychological services due to the desire to conform to societal gender normal behaviors. Taking into consideration the roles of being “masculine” in society today, men may feel that they are capable of handling issues on their own. Therefore, they do not seek the help available to them on college campuses. As higher education professionals, we should keep in mind that young men are socialized to feel as though they cannot reach out for help; this is also deeply connected to the programming opportunities we create for our students on campus.

We must begin this movement by taking a look at the services offered in higher education and how students are utilizing them based on this gender role ideology.  Due in part to societal norms, Harper and Harris III (2010) offer that the focus on “gender” issues in the higher education setting is seen as disproportionate between genders (p.5), and typically we observe that services on campus are geared toward only one gender: Female. How does this affect our male students? Are we paying attention to their needs adequately?

A number of scholars have completed research investigating the issue of men utilizing services in the higher education setting. Glenn Good and Philip Wood (1995) and David Wimer and Ronald Levant’s  (2011) provide two research perspectives that help to reinforce the disparity among undergraduate men today. In their study, Wimer and Levant (2011) found that undergraduate men largely avoided help-seeking behaviors in relation to academic services (p. 256). Similarly, Good and Wood (1995) found that male gender role conflict has a direct relation to help seeking attitudes and its relationship to depression (p. 72).

It is evident from the research mentioned above that there is a variance in the likelihood of men utilizing on campus resources to assist with emotional, psychological or academic issues. However, it is important to know that we cannot generalize this for all male students due to the individuality of each student and how they view these services. It is also important to note that some schools or universities may not offer such programs at all to assist with needs of their entire student population. Something that I have observed being a graduate of a large public university and a community college, is that the smaller institutions or primarily commuter-driven schools may not offer the same services that their larger counterparts do. Large institutions that may require certain populations to live on campus may have to accommodate for these additional services to aid in their development.

Despite the fact that all male students are not the same, we are not hindered in acknowledging the social expectations of men that are visible in society every day. In our College Men and Masculinities class at the University of Maine, we conducted an in-class project on our very first day. We were instructed to identify expectations of men in our society today. You may be familiar with this project as it is commonly called “The Man Box” activity. From our class discussion, we identified ways that society thinks a man should act. Our answers were centered around men being viewed as having to be a provider, not showing or expressing feelings, not acting feminine, not showing weakness and always having to be strong to name a few. I think the last point is important to look at. What does being strong mean for a man?

For some, the image of a strong man may point straight to those superhero figures: The Batman, Spiderman and Iron Man etc. Notice that all of the names include the word man…? For others, it may mean that they must go to the gym and have big muscles so that they can get lots of attention and be seen as attractive to others. On another hand, this idea of being “strong” may mean something totally different. Could that internal definition of “strong” mean that they have to be brave enough to fight their battles alone? That they have to be strong enough to deal with their issues and not let others in to help? This is important to take into consideration, because of the possibility that internal battles may end up affecting the health and well being of the individual. Will the choice then be to seek help because of no other available options?

I believe the notion to be a strong man is something that higher educations professionals can witness in our own lives, especially within our interactions with the student body. Personally, I see this in reference to men in my own life when men are dealing with an illness, be it physical or mental. They don’t want to seem weak and rarely seek help by professionals to heal them. However, I also have seen this in relation to academics in my undergraduate setting at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Working as a peer mentor with students who were on academic probation, I was assigned four mentees, all of whom were first year men. Often times during our weekly mentee meetings, they would sit quietly in the corner as I tried to get them to talk about issues they were having with their classes and what we could do to fix those issues. Even though they were on academic probation and a semester away from being kicked out of the university, most were not receptive to the help. I would always ask myself, “Why are they so hesitant to utilize their resources on campus?” They made it seem as though they weren't struggling even though I knew they were.

I think that the above question should be looked at more frequently in higher education and then addressed accordingly. Thoughts about men in relation to help-seeking can be witnessed in many of our own lives, whether it be through the students, our fathers, friends, or even significant others. Because society holds men to such high standards, we think that they aren’t struggling and in turn don’t need the help. What if they are struggling and do need help?

The importance of services being available is valuable to discuss because of the growing need for these types of programs to assist the individuals. While certain societal expectations of men are to be strong, sometimes that is not always the case. Programs should be readily available and encouraged for men, but also to all students so that there are not negative attitudes toward gender, race, sexual orientation or any other identity in college students today. As higher education professionals, we need to pay attention to the needs of all students, regardless of their identifications and help them seek out the services that they need.

We should also encourage and educate students to be aware of socially generated expectations when it comes to gender, race, sexual orientation, etc., and encourage them to think outside of the “box.” Not all men are “superheroes” or conform to the “man box” expectations of how they should think and act. That is okay. Likewise, it is also okay for them to ask for help. It is time that we teach our students that there are social role implications that play out for everyone, but each one of us can be a different kind of superhero when it comes to breaking these stereotypes. Through encouragement and availability, we can help students get to where they need to be whether they are asking for it or not.

References:

Good, G.E., & Wood, P.K. (1995). Male gender role conflict, depression, and help seeking: Do
            college men face double jeopardy?. Journal of Counseling & Development. 74(1). 70-75.

Harper, S. R. & Harris, F., III (2010).  College men and masculinities: Theory, research, and
            implications for practice.  San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

O’Neil, J.M., Helms, B.J., Gable, R.K., David, L. & Wrightsman, L.S., Gender role conflict
            scale: College men’s fear of femininity as cited in Harper, S. R. & Harris, F., III (2010). 
            College men and masculinities: Theory, research, and implications for practice.  San
            Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Wimer, D. J., & Levant, R. F. (2011). The relation of masculinity and help-seeking style with the
            academic help-seeking behavior of college men. Journal of Men's Studies, 19(3), 256-
            274.

Leana Zona is currently a first-year graduate student in the University of Maine’s Student Development in Higher Education program.  She graduated from the University of North Carolina, Charlotte.  She serves as the GA for the Campus Activities Board in the Office of Campus Activities and Student Engagement at UMaine.

Engaging College Men in Difficult Dialogues Is as Easy as PIE?

Okay, so the title of this post is a bit misleading. Of course, engaging college men in difficult dialogues is not, as the saying goes, “easy as pie.” No, most dialogues that higher education professionals should be having with college men are a bit uncomfortable. For example, discussing issues of male power and privilege such as rape and sexual assault is uncomfortable. Clearly, such discussions are important as issues of sexual assault and rape are continually making national news, particularly on college campuses. For example, if you have been following the news recently, an undergraduate member of the Alpha Rho chapter of Phi Kappa Tau at Georgia Tech University has come under scrutiny over e-mailing his fraternity brothers with explicit instructions on how to lure women into having sex with members of that particular Phi Kappa Tau chapter through alcohol.

Throughout the nation within institutions of higher education, cases such as the one at Georgia Tech University seem very familiar. Unfortunately, in a lot of cases, college campuses face worse scenarios than e-mails suggesting non-consensual sex. In fact, according to Robin Warshaw’s I Never Called it Rape, 84% of men who committed rape said it was definitely not rape, and one-third of college men stated that they were likely to have sex with an unwilling partner if they knew that they could get away with it.

Of course, sexual assault and rape are not the only means through which college men express their male power and privilege in a negative manner. Other issues consist of college males pressuring other college males to drink alcohol or college males assaulting other college males. The list continues, but the aforementioned issues fit into the realm of difficult dialogues (Loschiavo, Miller, and Davies, 2007).

The purpose of having these difficult dialogues between higher education professionals and college males is to develop or enhance the awareness of college males in regard to male power and privilege (Loschiavo et al., 2007). Ultimately, as higher education professionals, this is part of our responsibility in maintaining a harmonious campus culture in addition to educating students. Education and challenging the societal dynamics at play are essential as, male power and male privilege are parts of social inequality that motivate the oppression and violence that happens on college campuses (Loschiavo et al., 2007).

Yes, programming and services exist on campuses to address many of the conduct code violations and issues such as violence and substance abuse. There are also services and programming initiatives that address issues such as problem-solving skills, emotional regulation skills, male socialization, and behavioral issues, which to some degree address male power and privilege. However, such services and programming exist mainly for those college men who have violated the code of conduct.

So what about those college men who have not violated the code of conduct or who have managed to avoid being caught violating the code of conduct? Engaging men in difficult dialogue about male power and privilege will be beneficial for all college males on any campus. However, unlike the title of this post suggests, engaging college men in these conversations can be difficult. While engaging college men is not “easy as pie,” using Sherry K. Watt’s PIE Model is one method of engaging college men in difficult dialogues.

The Privileged Identity Exploration (PIE) Model is designed to “assist practitioners who are using strategies that are focused on raising individual’s critical consciousness by encouraging them to dialogue about their privileged identities. Practitioners can use the model as a tool to help them anticipate defensive behaviors and devise a strategy to prevent productive dialogue from being derailed,” (Watt, 2007, p. 118).

For me, when attempting to engage college men in difficult dialogue, defensive behaviors become the biggest obstacle, and I can only imagine that I am not the only professional who encounters the same obstacle. For me, the PIE Model is a great option to help me address serious issues such as male power and privilege.

The PIE Model consists of three segments: recognizing privileged identity through denial, deflection, and rationalization; contemplating privileged identity through intellectualization, principium (avoiding exploration based on a religious or personal principle), and false envy; and lastly, addressing privileged identity through benevolence and minimization (Watt, 2007, p. 120-122). I've included a link to the article for those interested in exploring it further.

Male power and privilege are usually not directly addressed with college males. Instead, behavioral and emotional issues, which are negative outcomes or by-products of male power and privilege, are addressed. However, it is through meaningful dialogue that higher education professionals will be able to bring awareness to college males. In order to do so, higher education professionals must be prepared and equipped with theoretical frameworks and techniques of how to best engage college men about difficult issues. The PIE Model is one of many methods through which we, as professionals, can address male power and privilege.

While the PIE Model may not make difficult dialogue any easier, it will certainly give professionals a strategy and plan in having such dialogue with college men.

John Roberts is the Coordinator for Communications & Student Recruitment at Western Kentucky University, Glasglow.  You can engage John on Twitter @JohnRoberts348.

Works Cited:

Loschiavo, C., Miller, D. S., and Davies, J. (2007). Engaging men in difficult dialogues about privilege. The College Student Affairs Journal, 26(2), 193-200

Watt, S.K. (2007). Difficult dialogues, privilege, and social justice: Uses of the privilege identity exploration (PIE) model in student affairs practice. The College Student Affairs Journal, 26(2), 114-126

The Box

Ahmed Naguib is a Conduct Coordinator at UC Davis & is the author of this blog entry.  You can engage Ahmed on Twitter @ahmedanaguib.

This blog post aims to unpack the understanding of manhood and masculinity that exists within the binary. The reason I am unpacking this is that I believe that we cannot create a space in which all individuals are respected and safe without understanding the thick lenses of socialization dictated by the systemic privilege offered to men and the lack of development in understanding this experience. In unpacking these lenses we can work to affect systemic structures.

What’s it mean to be a man? What about a good man? These are the questions I grew up hearing when it came to my male identity. While these questions were important, they did not ask the important question; how does a man define themselves? Manhood is not defined by an individual man, but largely by society and the dominant social system. Years of historical and cultural factors have led to an expected image of a man that is both unattainable and contradictory.

How many different imaginary lines do we bind ourselves with? For years, society’s initial definition of masculinity has shifted, shrunk, expanded, and been distorted. We have confused a spectrum of emotions that each individual feels as identifiers of a specific gender, which has established a binary over time. In American society a plurality of intersections have formed that have led to a diverse and at many times confusing masculine experience. This has created different challenges for men of different races, specifically men of color, based on societal structures in place that benefit some and harm others (i.e. higher incarceration rates, etc.) This is by no means a final sentence on all men of color, nor is it an accusation of a flaw. It is the acknowledgement that this intersection for men of color is one that is at high risk. Take for example the definition of masculinity often attributed to young urban men of color within our society and by our media. An intersection of a socioeconomic situation with a racial and cultural environment, which is sometimes portrayed to be enhanced by hyper masculine behavior establishes an environment in which the young men of color are not setup to succeed to the same extent that a wealthy suburban White male is expected to develop, grow, live, and thrive in society. I talk about the issue of men of color to illustrate the current issues with the mainstream definition of manhood and to suggest some ways to challenge it, which leads me to the gender box.

From my days as an RA at University of California SantaBarbara, the gender fishbowl exercise is where my interest in masculinities began. In this activity I discovered the idea of the box. Our society sets expectations for each gender on the binary and by using this box students engage in an exercise of naming the expectations and ramifications of not being within the expected boundaries. What struck me then and still strikes me till this day is the wide spectrum, and sometimes contradicting expectations that have repeatedly appeared on that sheet. Over time I have begun to see these words describing two different definitions of a man provided for our young boys. Each has their place in the historical context of our society.  Our society frequently perpetuates the box through the images of masculinity that populate our media.

Prince Charming. Maximus. Ryan Gosling’s role in 90% of the movies he plays. All provoke images of men who are described by many of the adjectives in the box. Tender, loving, sensitivearound women, yet still manly and rough in gaining the respect of his fellow men. Heroic and adventurous but also charming and witty. This character is of a man who is sophisticated and loving yet still dominant and protective. Women love him despite a character flaw or two. This guy worked to do good.The description can go on, but we all know them as the “nice guys”. Rooted in the stories of noble and honorable men who served their fellow humans this image is one we see often in history, both in culture and reality.

Another set of images is provoked by rest of and some of the same adjectives in the box. The things that come to mind are drastically different. Ruthless men who in some way or form do what they must to protect those they love, or to attain rich and fame. This image is also the same one used in a huge sector of the hip hop and pop industries. Artists like Little Wayne, RobinThicke, and Tyga provoke the image of men who have no regard for others except themselves and a few loved ones with their music. The accusation of wealth and stature is the top priority. Women still love them, but most of the time it is about sex.  History provides us with countless examples of ruthless alpha males who attained glory. Culture and history has further glorified them. Men like Genghis Khan, Alexander the Great,and  Julius Caesar are glorious for their achievements of status and success.

Two sets of sometimes contradicting expectations are provided to young men.  Today’s boys are faced with defining their own manhood in a climate that limits their options. These definitions of manhood one can see that the perception of other individuals, particularly other men, plays a major role. The idea of manhood has been tied in today’s society to how we are seen, not how we define ourselves. We see men choose to be individuals that others will think of as manly. It has restricted the emotional range in which manhood is defined amongst other men. Combining all the expectations gives young boys the image that a man, if he so chooses, may be sensitive, kind, and gentle around women and children but not around other men. A powerful example that is often depicted in the media and at times perpetuated on our campuses is the “frat guy” stereotype,This stereotypical man is a womanizer, who is not afraid to put down others. This stereotype often sees sexual interaction is a public competition and not a consensual choice between two adults. This hyper masculine image does not define all men within the fraternity system, nor does it define all males in American society, yet they cannot escape the same expectations of womanizing and dominance. It layers its effects in male self-image and self-esteem.

These images we give our youth about manhood grow much more severe when they are placed in an environment that influences or forces them to survive illegally. The hyper masculine traits of dominance and womanizing become severely inflated in everyday interactions and are much more attractive.For urban young males exposed to violence and drug abuse survival, and in turn manhood is tied to being the biggest andbaddest on the street. It is no surprise that we are losing young urban men of color to prisons. Hyper masculine behavior has devastating consequences for young men who are exposed to violence and drug use without proper role models of manhood to model an understanding of their privilege.  

The points I make are not new or ground breaking. I am merely combining the information and frameworks we have. Going forward it may seem that these issues are too big for one individual to change and effect on their own. This is true in terms of the social paradigm, but shifting existing paradigms doesn’t occur with one major event but with a stream of individuals taking action. I have a few suggestions in ways men can have a positive effect on society and freeing themselves from the boundaries of the box.

1) Be authentic with yourself and emotions. Be an example of someone who does not allow themselves to be restricted in the emotions they are feeling.

2) Advocate for equal treatment of all individuals regardless of gender.

3) Create a space in which men can show affection without fear of being put down.

These three things can create an affinity space for men in which they can reclaim the definition of manhood. Allow our young men to define their own manhood and break free of the box.