Radicalization and TSwift

Some friends to the north join us this week! Breaking the Boy Code host and Next Gen Men Program Manager Jonathon Reed and Higher Unlearning Founder Jeff Perera shed some light on the radicalization of men and boys. 

• Remoy’s still living under a rock, and it’s not a drill. Samantha gets him up to speed on why some conservative men feel betrayed by Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift’s relationship. Is she empowering women too much with these break-up songs?

• We get to talking about Critical Race Theory, your new-edition Fahrenheit 451.  Where does the term actually come from? And what does it have to do men and boys trying to get a grip on healthy masculinity?

• Finally, how is it that boys and men of color are being radicalized into far-right extremism? Our guests have done a decade's plus work around maskulinity and provide what knowldege they've surfaced. We talk empathy, what is missing that extremist groups are the recourse for boys, and what we can do. 

COMPANION EPISODES:

• Michael Kimmel helped us understand why some men feel left behind. Which is how men be part of a community upholding the maskulinity they’ve been taught:

  • Make America Great Again, How the Dominant Was Left Behind, with Dr. Michael Kimmel

• If you didn’t catch it last week, Dr. Liu’s input and work are more relevant than ever:

  • The Racial Hierarchy of MASKulinity, with Dr. Liu - Part 1

  • The Racial Hierarchy of MASKulinity, with Dr. Liu - Part 2

Referenced on this episode:

• Circle of Courage - indigenous framework for positive youth development

• NGM Boys+ Club - Next Gen Men’s private Discord server for masculine-identifying youth.

• Ken Corbett - researcher focused on feminine masculinities among young people

OUR GUESTS THIS WEEK:

Jeff Perera

Since 2008, Jeff Perera has been speaking to North American audiences about building bridges across differences, helpful versus harmful ideas of manhood, and men striving to be allies towards gender equity. Jeff started HigherUnlearning.com as a space to share his written pieces, videos, and TEDx talks, exploring how men can be a part of change by being the lesson in action and models of possibility for others.

Jonathon Reed

As Next Gen Men’s Program Manager, Jonathon organizes and facilitates our boys programs, and collaborates with parents, schools, and community partners. Get in touch with Jonathon if you are interested in bringing Next Gen Men to your school or community!

Jonathon has a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education and is currently pursuing a Masters of Education focused on boyhood masculinities. With a background in activism, he seeks to empower young people to think critically and make their voices heard. Jonathon is a longtime advocate for LGBTQ+ youth and has years of experience working with boys to expand definitions of masculinity. He has a keen passion for adventure sports like whitewater canoeing and rock climbing, and he creates a podcast called Breaking the Boy Code centered on the inner lives of boys.

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