Education Authority Y Box Doc

SECTION 3 PRACTICAL RESOURCES There were many activities, methods and resources used successfully during the pilot phase. Working with Young Men: Addressing sensitive and Contentious issues by Dr Colm Walsh and Ken Harland (2016) was the prime resource used for group work activities. Outdoor learning experiences with a highly skilled instructor was invaluable not only for developing relationships but also for the experiential learning experiences it provided. Examples included problem solving and resolving conflict using non-violent strategies. Given the complexities within the groups, it was important to try new approaches such as Yoga, Sound baths and silent walks. Being creative included designing our own immersive technology (VR) activity that provided rehearsal, and skills development.

THEME 1: MASCULINITY

THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS AREA What does it mean to be a man? How do you become a man? Is there such a thing? As boys develop into young men and later into adulthood, these are questions that are frequently wrestled with, and yet there are so few opportunities to reflect on what these questions mean-and if they even matter. For good or bad, generations passed were able to answer these questions much more easily. Traditional routes into manhood via apprenticeships, work opportunities and the establishment of a family provided a narrow, but well-defined pathway into adulthood for young men. But the complexities of contemporary society have made transitioning into adulthood much more confusing for young men. Many traditional masculine norms still permeate all sections of society. We learn social cues from parents as we grow. We learn acceptable and unacceptable play. In school, we are often segregated into particular areas of perceived interest based upon our sex. With more independence during adolescence comes social mobility, peer interactions and testing of boundaries. Traditional and now social media plays a massive role in shaping our expectations and shaping our identities. We are all conditioned by the environment around us, and yet so few of us have the opportunity to really reflect upon why we think a certain way and why we act in a particular way. Although presentation of masculinity varies from community to community as much as from country to country, many young men growing up in Northern Ireland endorse traditional and narrow and contradictory perspectives on masculinity. These perspectives become ideals; however, few can positively attain these ideals, and routes to attainment are plagued by strains. From a criminological perspective, these psychological and emotions strains associated with failure to meet expectations are criminogenic insofar as ‘victims’ try to cope with the strains using maladaptive means and/or try increasingly riskier methods for attaining the ideals. Both of which increase the risk that young men in seeking success, become willing to try whatever it takes and ignore the impact on others as they seek that success. It is increasingly recognised that effective work with young men is not only about addressing young men’s needs, but responding to the needs and experiences of girls and women; of families who struggle to function successfully; to the needs of communities who are challenged by many of the manifestations of male dominance and aggression; and the needs of schools who struggle to engage boys and young men in formal education. Understanding and engaging young men is a critical area of practice and needs to be understood from multiple perspectives. Our practice, which has been continually informed by our research, has demonstrated the value of engaging boys and young men in exercises that explore gender roles, masculinity and normative behaviours. Research has provided the following insights regarding the lives of young men and the impact of masculine norms: • Boys and young men are psychological guided by considerations of what is expected of them as a male within the context of their community. • Boys and young men’s conceptualisation of what it means to be male is informed by the entire ecology. • Boys and young men often suppress some feelings/emotions (e.g., sadness) and endorse and accentuate others (e.g., anger).

MASCULINITY

CONNECT

SAFE SPACES

OPPORTUNITIES

SKILLS

• Boys and young men validate masculinity through material gain and perceived status. • Boys and young men experience violence in a range of ways and can easily justify it. • Boys and young men’s attitudes towards girls and young women are complex and contradictory.

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