MEN4DEM is proud to announce the publication of its first working paper: (Anti)Democratic Masculinities Theory in Action: Transdisciplinary Reflections and Co-Creation, authored by Elin Bjarnegård (Uppsala University) and Liza Mügge (University of Amsterdam).
The working paper lays the theoretical groundwork for the core ambition of the MEN4DEM project: to transform anti-democratic masculine norms into democratic masculinities that promote equality, participation and inclusive leadership across Europe.
This initial framework is the result of a dynamic co-creation process involving academics, artists and activists. Through literature reviews, workshops, interviews, and collaborative reflection, the paper presents three key pillars for understanding and promoting change:
- Conceptual clarity: Defining both anti-democratic and democratic masculinities and exploring how traits such as aggression, dominance and exclusion are normalised - and how inclusion, empathy and pluralism offer democratic alternatives.
- Theory of transformation: Outlining the need to understand how change happens over time, what drives it and what blocks it.
- Balance and complexity: Recognising the plurality of masculinities and avoiding simplistic good/bad binaries, while affirming models consistent with democracy.
This working paper is a first step in an evolving process. It provides a common vocabulary and conceptual starting point for MEN4DEM's future interdisciplinary research and interventions.