01/06/2015Øystein Gullvåg Holter1 Men and gender equality Øystein Gullvåg Holter

01/06/2015 Øystein Gullvåg Holter 2 Introduction Gender equality perspective Men’s possibilities and problems Nordic research and development Background  Work research  Work / family studies  Gender and men’s studies  Theory development

01/06/2015 Øystein Gullvåg Holter 3 Main topics Diversity among men Research development In-depth studies Forces of change Barriers and problems Implications for gender analysis Strategy development Research development

01/06/2015 Øystein Gullvåg Holter 4 Diversity among men Nordic ’male role’ initiative in the 1980s The Swedish Man 1984: the ’in principle’ man Men in Norway 1988: 1/3 ’pro’ gender equality, 1/3 ’neutral’, 1/3 ’anti’ Diversity related to  Education, culture, work sector  Household income balance, family situation  Childhood and youth  E.g. ’protest’ masculinity / risk behavior

01/06/2015 Øystein Gullvåg Holter 5 Research development 1990s: research networking, environment building Nordic workshops, coordination (1999) student theses, doctoral theses (Norway) Main issue: fathering and caring Main direction – men’s possibilities

01/06/2015 Øystein Gullvåg Holter 6 Research problems Problems of a new and small field Men as ’derived subjects’ Short-term applied perspective ’Obvious’ masculinity only? Lack of problem area studies Relating problems and possibilities Integrating ’social structure’ and ’cultural embodiment’ views Strong gender typing of men, often also in research Example: ’men cannot be raped’

01/06/2015 Øystein Gullvåg Holter 7 In-depth studies Example: ”Men’s Life Connections” (Holter & Aarseth 1993) Why do some men develop an active fathering role?  Women’s influence or pressure?  Men’s own motivations and experiences?  Strategic sample based on ”Men in Norway 1988”  In-depth interviews with men and their wives or partners

01/06/2015 Øystein Gullvåg Holter 8 Thematic method ”Mens Life Connections” (continued) Key themes in men’s lives Thematisation as means to rework life connections  Cf. ’memory work’ ”I did not really know my father” Father absence (sometimes: presence) as point of departure Importance of women’s support Life quality, social competence and career benefits

01/06/2015 Øystein Gullvåg Holter 9 Discovering a trend ”Mens Life Connections” (continued) Study shows caring/fathering tendency Popularity of 1993 reform confirms major trend ’Daddy’s month’ soon used by 70 percent of eligible fathers Almost all users see it as a right, not compulsion Two thirds of users want 2-3 months father’s quota

01/06/2015 Øystein Gullvåg Holter 10 Forces of change Family values linked to gender equality Problems of ’one-dimensional’ male role Life quality and health issues Changing cultural and social expectations Some trends of working life (social competence, human relations, ”EQ”) New demands in information-based working life?

01/06/2015 Øystein Gullvåg Holter 11 Barriers and problems Limited changes among men  ’One swallow does not make a summer’  Many areas – little change New Nordic report: ”Can men? Men and gender equality in working life”  ’Gender meets class’: increasing income differences and welfare state problems  Reemergence of provider model  ”Economic sprinkling system” devaluing care  Women’s ambivalence  Many problem patterns (abuse, rape, violence) are still large

01/06/2015 Øystein Gullvåg Holter 12 Working life changes ”Down to standard” - globalization and hegemonic masculinity Restructuring in, gender equality out? Flexible work, home work, burnout?  ’The Norwegian Man 1998’ – materialism, ’lonely makes strong’, health concerns Diversity and creativity trends Equality pays – new studies Gender segregation esp. in feminine areas hinders economic development

01/06/2015 Øystein Gullvåg Holter 13 Implications for gender analysis Vertical discrimination reduced Horizontal discrimination persists Working life and economy lag behind Support for ’dual sphere’ analyses Gender and other inequality connected Changing forms of discrimination Discrimination of men overlooked

01/06/2015 Øystein Gullvåg Holter 14 Gender discrimination - a common problem Men are not ”neutrals” Gender is not only positive for men Discrimination may hit men also  Breaking or ’polluting’ the gender border  Devaluation of caring, social work  Men in feminine areas – ’helpmates and amateurs’?  ’Self-oppression’ e g mortality effects Discrimination of women and of men – related processes Discrimination between men important for male – female relations

01/06/2015 Øystein Gullvåg Holter 15 Strategies ahead ’Caring-based’ strategy – extend to other areas (e g work, politics, peace) Three key elements  Connect to on-going changes and needs among men  Extend a gender equality perspective  Men’s liberation is needed also

01/06/2015 Øystein Gullvåg Holter 16 Research development Create debate and engagement Build research networks and groups  Young researchers, students  Cooperation between men and women  Cross-disciplinary cooperation  Basic research as well as applied research  Examples: Nordic region networks, EU networks and projects (e g CROME) Create new perspectives  ”Men’s own voices” + feminist and gender theory = new directions of research  Extend and nuance critical theory