Episode 31

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Published on:

2nd Aug 2023

Prof Michael Flood - Engaging Men and Boys: Theory and Evidence

Work with men and boys has been growing rapidly in the last 30 years, especially around the issues of preventing violence and abuse, building gender equality, promoting fatherhood, and health and wellbeing. To what extent is this a positive development? What are some of the opportunities, challenges and problems that engaging men and boys brings? And how can this work be delivered most effectively, to have a serious impact in tackling issues such as gender-based violence? There are few experts around the world better equipped to provide answers to these questions than Prof Michael Flood. He gives an in-depth, critical overview of the ‘engaging men’ field, and discusses his own story of being an anti-sexist activist since the 1980s. He also explains why it’s vital to think about issues like pornography and online misogyny in this work, and gives some pointers for parents in how to address these issues with children, and sons in particular. 

Michael is a Professor in the School of Justice at Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia. He has written numerous academic publications on issues including violence against women and violence prevention, men and masculinities, pro-feminist men’s advocacy, male heterosexuality, fathering, and pornography. This includes a book with Palgrave Macmillan in 2019, ‘Engaging Men and Boys in Violence Prevention’. He also runs the website XY Online, which is full of resources on men, masculinities and gender politics.

Read his articles mentioned in the episode:

In this episode we cover the following topics: 

  • Why the ‘engaging men’ field has been growing, and why that’s a good thing
  • Key lessons from research about how to engage with men and boys
  • Issues of concern in the development of this work
  • Mistakes which can arise in work by and with men and boys
  • The tensions of having a public platform as a pro-feminist academic and activist
  • The usefulness of terms such as ‘toxic’ and ‘healthy’ masculinity
  • Trends in work with men which should give us optimism
  • Why it’s important to think about pornography when addressing sexual violence
  • Talking to young men about pornography and online misogyny
  • Michael’s PhD research on young men’s heterosexual relations with women
  • How Michael first got involved in anti-sexist activism, and how he’s been able to maintain his commitment over time
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About the Podcast

Now and Men
Changing Masculinities, Challenging Norms
What role can men play in achieving gender equality?
Why is feminism good for men?
How are rigid ideas about masculinity holding back our lives—and how are people around the world challenging them?

These are the questions at the heart of Now and Men, a podcast hosted by social researchers Dr Stephen Burrell (Lecturer at the University of Melbourne, Australia) and Sandy Ruxton (Independent Researcher and Honorary Fellow at Durham University, UK).

We explore masculinity and change in the lives of men and boys today, diving into issues such as gender-based violence, fatherhood, men’s health, politics and the environment. Grounded in feminist thinking, our conversations connect big ideas to everyday experiences—showing how gender shapes all of us, and how men can be part of building a more equal world.

At a time when regressive versions of masculinity are resurging—amplified by political leaders, online influencers, even podcasters—we spotlight the people pushing back. Each episode features inspiring voices working to engage men and boys in positive, transformative ways and imagining feminist futures.

New episodes drop every month. Follow us wherever you get your podcasts, and join us in exploring what healthy, caring, equitable paths forward can look like for men. Questions or comments? We’d love to hear from you at nowandmen@gmail.com.

About your hosts

Stephen Burrell

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I am a Lecturer in Criminology at the University of Melbourne. I'm originally from the UK, and moved to Australia at the beginning of 2024. My research is about men, masculinities, and violence. I am particularly interested in the prevention of men's violence - especially violence against women, and violence against the environment - and promoting care as an alternative. I'm a big fan of feminism, drinking tea, connecting with nature, eating vegan snacks, and listening to heavy metal.

Sandy Ruxton

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Honorary Research Fellow in the Department of Sociology at Durham University (UK). Independent researcher, expert on men and masculinities. Previous policy work on human rights, children and families, poverty and social exclusion, and asylum and migration. Programme experience with boys and young men in schools, community, and prisons. Steering Committee member, MenEngage Europe. Volunteer for OX4 Food Crew. Chess-player, bike-rider, tree-hugger. Great grandfather edited Boy's Own Paper, but was sacked.