Episode 20

full
Published on:

21st Oct 2022

Sandy Ruxton and Stephen Burrell Talking to Yaz Brien - Now and Men: One Year On

In this special 20th episode, Sandy and Stephen reflect on the year since we started Now and Men, and our experience of running the podcast so far. The episode was recorded live at a workshop at a conference called 'Boys at the Crossroads – Insights and Innovations in Young Masculinities', organised by Bristol Young Men’s Network in the UK on 14th October 2022. We discuss why we set the podcast up in the first place, what it has achieved thus far, and the role that podcasts and other media can play in engaging with men and boys about gender equality and influencing constructions of masculinity. In the second half of the episode, we also respond to a range of questions from the workshop participants.

The conversation was facilitated by Yaz Brien, who’s involved in Bristol Young Men’s Network, and has worked across the frontlines of homelessness, mental health, drug and alcohol recovery and domestic abuse, as well as on community reuse and nature-based projects. They’ve also been involved in grassroots organising and activism across multiple continents, including in worker, housing and community cooperatives. Many thanks to Yaz and the workshop participants for their brilliant contributions! If you would like to put a question or comment to us to discuss in a future episode, do contact us at nowandmen@gmail.com.

Yaz is involved in the Transition Network: https://transitionnetwork.org/people/yaz-brien/, and has previously been a presenter on Ujima Radio, Bristol's Black-led community radio station: https://www.ujimaradio.com

Find out more about Bristol Young Men's Network: https://www.facebook.com/BristolYMN/. In the episode we also mention talks at the conference by Lewis Wedlock: https://www.lewiswedlock.com, and Nate Eisenstadt: https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/en/persons/nathan-eisenstadt

We discuss the following topics:

  • Why we set up Now and Men
  • What we wanted to achieve with the podcast, and how successful it's been so far
  • The response we've received, and what we know about Now and Men's audience
  • What's particularly excited us from the guests we've spoken to far, in relation to the conference theme of young masculinities
  • How to have conversations about masculinity without creating further polarisation
  • What the role of feminism is in the podcast
  • How podcasts differ from other mediums and forms of engagement
  • What we've learnt from the process and how it's changed us
  • Advice for others looking to start a podcast
  • Who we have in our mind's eye when creating the podcast

With the following questions from participants:

  • How skills from academia can help with setting up a podcast
  • How universities don't always provide welcoming environments for disadvantaged students
  • Connections between the diversity of our guests
  • How to deal with the limitations of what a podcast can achieve
  • Should we strive for 'healthy masculinity', or seek to move away from it altogether?
  • Difficulties with challenging gender stereotypes as parents
  • How a historical perspective can help us understand how gender is constructed
Next Episode All Episodes Previous Episode

Listen for free

Show artwork for Now and Men

About the Podcast

Now and Men
Current conversations about men's lives
What's it like to be a man in the 21st century? How are feminist issues relevant to men and boys? How can we engage in productive conversations about gender equality? These questions are being discussed more than ever.

Our monthly podcast delves into these issues with experts such as practitioners, activists and academics. In each episode, you’ll hear in-depth conversations about a wide-range of topics connected to masculinity and the lives of men and boys, such as preventing gender-based violence, promoting active fatherhood, and supporting men's health.

The podcast is hosted by two social science researchers, based on the opposite sides of the world: Sandy Ruxton from Durham University's Centre for Research into Violence and Abuse (UK) and Dr Stephen Burrell from the University of Melbourne (Australia). If you would like to give us your feedback, suggest a guest, or have a question you'd like us to discuss, get in touch at nowandmen@gmail.com. And if you like what we do, please share us with your friends, and leave a review on Apple podcasts!

About your hosts

Stephen Burrell

Profile picture for Stephen Burrell
I am a Lecturer in Criminology at the University of Melbourne, Australia, where I moved from the UK at the beginning of 2024. My research is about men, masculinities and violence. I am particularly interested in the prevention of men's violence against women, building gender equality, addressing environmental harm, and promoting an ethic of care among men and boys. In my spare time I'm a big fan of drinking tea, being in nature, eating vegan ice cream, and listening to heavy metal music. I'm also a trustee for White Ribbon UK.

Sandy Ruxton

Profile picture for Sandy Ruxton
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.