New Jersey’s Princeton University has a discussion group that encourages men to be more effeminate in an effort to escape the societal box of masculinity.
The university’s “Men’s Allied Voices for a Respectful & Inclusive Community” (MAVRIC) hosts lunch conversations twice a week in order to “unpack our own internalized ideas about what it is to be a man,” according to the group’s website. It also “look[s] for the tender spots where some emotion comes to the surface.”
The men in the group seek to free themselves from the “man-box” they live in by “asking ourselves to be tremendously vulnerable,” citing the rise of the #MeToo movement as an example of disgusting male privilege.
The MAVRIC Project began in 2013 but didn’t established its online presence until 2016 when it created a website to engage existing members and draw in new ones. The group has a blog, Facebook page and also hosts speakers who talk about why common notions of masculinity are harmful.
Princeton’s blog on “Healthy Masculinity” also encourages men to break from what are considered stereotypical roles of being the “breadwinner” for a family and showing strength. The blog encourages men to show emotion, express vulnerability, emotionally nurture others and practice self-care. Men should also confront other men who act aggressively or too comfortably ascribe to the male stereotype.
The goal of the men’s discussions in the group is “to have honest and transparent conversations around masculinity,” according to MAVRIC Project Director Jean Semelfort, Campus Reform reported.
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