Activity:

MEN, CULTURAL TRADITIONS AND TRANSFORMATIONS
Intercultural Challenges to Caring for Men in Difficulty

Type: Seminar

Series of 5 seminars :

February 17th: South Asia
March 24th: Black Africa
April 24 th: Arab-Muslim
May 26th: Jewish (cancelled)
June 9th: Indigenous peoples

from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM

At: Université de Montréal, Room # B- 4275 pavilion 3200, Jean Brillant Street, Montreal.

In recent decades, various disciplines within the humanities and social sciences have advocated the transformation and repositioning of masculine roles, as a result of the changes emerging in western societies. We seek to improve our understanding of these changes and their impacts on men’s health and well-being, so as to improve the social programs that aim to address these issues.

Most research has focused on men from western societies, with regard to understanding both the transformations they experience and the impacts of these changes, and also with respect to the definition of new masculinities.

In general, the issue of non-western masculinities remains remarkably absent from academic discourse, especially in Quebec. When it is mentioned, however, it is usually to stigmatise these non-western masculinities as oppressive and backward. However, according to a hypothesis that remains to be confirmed scientifically but that intercultural practice invites us seriously consider, this western, a priori refusal of alternative masculinities does not escape the attention of other cultural communities. Consequently, men of these communities are dissuaded from using social and health services when they experience a personal crisis, because they do not feel that these services recognize the construction of their masculinities.

If one wishes to better understand and help these men when they experience crises, it is absolutely crucial to listen to and to be informed about non-western constructions of masculinity.

Goals :

The series of seminars has three principal goals:

• To understand the nature and character of masculinities in various societies and cultures, taking into account the influence of religious and spiritual traditions in the shaping of these masculinities.

• To understand transformations and the impact of “modernization” on non-western masculinities, especially within context of immigration.

• To explore how we might better adapt our social services to men from non-western cultures, taking into consideration the true nature of their masculine identities.
  

Registration
Participation is free but pre-registration is obligatory.
Places are extremely limited and are granted on a first come, first serve basis.
To register:
phone (514) 288 7229 (Farida Ziane)
or
farida_ziane@iim.qc.ca

With the collaboration of:
The Faculté de théologie et de sciences des religions of the Université de Montréal