Men's Movements

Though the vast majority of gender-based social movements have been organized by women and focused primarily on women's issues, men's movements have gained increasing popularity in recent years. Just as there is no single women's movement, the same can be said of men's movements. Instead, there is a diverse range of men's movements and men's movement organizations. Each has a slightly different point of focus, but all share a concern with men's roles in society. The increase in men's movements over the past 30 years can be understood in part as a result of men's realization that gender inequality affects them, just as it affects women.

As men's movements began to take shape, men who were concerned about the inequality experienced by women whom they cared about began to express their concern by joining feminist organizations. At the same time, some men began to question mainstream views of masculinity and the effects of such views on themselves and on society more generally. Some men joined feminist organizations that were already under way, while others began to form their own organizations. Thus, some men's movements were created in support of women's feminist movements, especially following the second wave of the women's movement. Other men's movements, while also created in response to the feminist [Page 547]and other women's movements, were started in an effort to push back against the gains made by women's movements. Still other men's movements were created that focus almost exclusively on men's issues and do not explicitly engage feminist or women's movements. This entry considers all three types: those that are pro-feminist, those that are antifeminist, and those that more exclusively address men's issues alone.

The topic of men's movements is relevant to any inquiry into gender and society. It is through social movements that change is created. The impact of gender-based movements on our society has been enormous. Gender-based movements helped change cultural views about gender relations in families, schools, the workplace, and many other areas of society. Men's movements in particular raise important questions about what it means for men and women to be equal members of society and how men are impacted by gender inequality and by potentially damaging norms of masculinity.