Of men and masculinity
Understanding the gender impact of a changing society is the purpose of an EC-funded Human Potential project called "The social problem and societal problematisation of men and masculinities". As such it establishes itself as one of the most critical analysis of men as a gender study as it seeks to understand such gender discrepancies as life-span differences, educational differences and, the differences between home and work. For the latter, the evidence seems to suggest a sweeping trend that exposes large differences from country to country. The study highlights that in some countries the tendency of men to avoid homebound responsibilities such as childcare may be based on tradition. In others areas it may be a matter of personal family ideology or political influence. Additionally, there is a trend of ambivalence amongst groups of men as to their gender roles within families, usually arising from a series of conflicting signals from the above-mentioned influences. Finally, in areas where men's home-care orientation is increasing, influencing factors have been identified as personal and have also been attributed to a growing social perspective on gender equality. Perhaps one of the most revealing aspects of the study shows that by no means are men's groups or even fathers homogenous in their makeup and that unemployment can have diverse and clear effect their lives. Other areas identified as requiring specific policy changes are the compulsory military service, the fostering of greater awareness for women's rights and the removal of discriminatory attitudes towards homosexuals.
