Leaving the Coliseum: A Masculinity Workshop Deconstructing Social Norms

Event Center BC

In this presentation, I will be outlining a structured eight-day Male Development workshop to create a space for attendees to learn, obtain and eventually teach a more preferred identity without the social constructs or negative discourses surrounding masculinity. The main approach to this workshop will be re-authoring through narrative practices and personal reconciliation about past, present and/or future events that have/will be affected by masculine ideals. Grounded in narrative strategies, attendees of this workshop will explore, re-evaluate and deconstruct individual, group, and social construction of what it means to be a man. The use of motivational interviewing/outsider witnessing techniques will be used to expand on the language, actions and thoughts regarding masculine behavior. By utilizing short-term motivational interviewing small manageable goals can be created throughout the workshop and discussed the following session. The concept of reconciliation will be implemented in letter writing to make amends for past indiscretions of former relationships or to create promissory letters to loved ones or to the future self. The goals for this workshop is to rethink these barriers, improve family dynamics, relieve past relational burden, culpability and invite different perspectives to societal influences that cause these discourses amongst men. In turn this greatly reduces the overall stigma that has been created surrounding mental health systems and providing a more manageable life for those struggling within these norms.