Intersectionality and social justice in programs for boys and men

Abstract

Increased public attention to issues of gender injustice has led to a proliferation of community-based programs for boys and men designed to educate for gender respect and gender justice. An intersectional approach to this work is now seen as imperative. In practice, however, this approach is far from simple or straightforward. This paper presents data from a broader study of community-based programs in Victoria, Australia designed to support men and boys to adopt more inclusive and respectful masculinities. Drawing on Nancy Fraser’s three-dimensional framework of social justice, we foreground the economic, cultural and political justice concerns expressed by program leaders as impacting on boys and men. We argue that considering these forms of injustice within the context of programs for boys and men is important but potentially fraught in pursuing the goals of gender transformation and gender justice.