Now and Men

What role can men play in achieving gender equality? Why is feminism good for men? How are rigid ideas about masculinity holding back our lives—and how are people around the world challenging them? These are the questions at the heart of Now and Men, a podcast hosted by social researchers Dr Stephen Burrell (Lecturer at the University of Melbourne, Australia) and Sandy Ruxton (Independent Researcher and Honorary Fellow at Durham University, UK). We explore masculinity and change in the lives of men and boys today, diving into issues such as gender-based violence, fatherhood, men’s health, politics and the environment. Grounded in feminist thinking, our conversations connect big ideas to everyday experiences—showing how gender shapes all of us, and how men can be part of building a more equal world. At a time when regressive versions of masculinity are resurging—amplified by political leaders, online influencers, even podcasters—we spotlight the people pushing back. Each episode features inspiring voices working to engage men and boys in positive, transformative ways and imagining feminist futures. New episodes drop every month. Follow us wherever you get your podcasts, and join us in exploring what healthy, caring, equitable paths forward can look like for men. Questions or comments? We’d love to hear from you at nowandmen@gmail.com.

Now and Men is a education podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 69 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts Now and Men, a education show with 69 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #67

  Seizing the Moment: Changing the Political Discourse on Men and Boys in the UK - Alistair Strathern MP

  Aug 12, 202649 min

  How is policy towards men and boys developing in the UK, at a time when masculinity is on the agenda more than ever? What is the approach of the governing Labour Party, and what more could they do? And how can we make sure the voices and experiences of women and girls are not sidelined in the process? What is the gendered culture of the UK Parliament like today? And how can men in politics model a different kind of masculinity? Following the huge political upheaval in the UK recently with the appointment of Andy Burnham as Prime Minister, in this episode we talk to Alistair Strathern MP about some of the key policy issues currently under discussion in relation to masculinity and gender equality. These include extending paternity leave, increasing the numbers of male teachers, protecting young people from the manosphere, and men’s role in preventing violence against women.  Alistair is Labour MP for the constituency of Hitchin, just north of London. He co-chairs the Labour Group for Men and Boys, which is “a campaigning group of MPs pushing the Labour Government to speak to young men and build a better masculinity”. He is a former maths teacher and climate insurance lead at the Bank of England. He’s just been re-appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary in the Treasury, acting as a two-way link between ministers and backbench MPs. Alistair’s Linktree:  https://linktr.ee/alistairstrathernmp Episode timeline: Intro Why the Labour Group on Men and Boys was set up (02:31-04:17) Labour’s approach to men and boys (04:17-05:34) What issues the group is focusing on (05:34-10:45) Improving parental leave for fathers (10:45-13:34) How to make sure women’s voices and experiences aren’t marginalised (13:34-16:09) Men’s role in challenging violence against women (16:09-18:15) The discourse on male role models (18:15-21:52) The gendered culture of Parliament (21:52-24:50) The role of men politicians in offering leadership (24:50-26:25) Where Alistair’s passion for masculinity issues comes from (26:25-28:48) Men’s responses to the nature and climate emergencies (28:48-31:25) Seizing the opportunities of the current moment (31:25-32:59) Count Binface and masculinity? (32:59-34:48) Conclusion: Policy considerations surrounding men and masculinities (34:48-49:26) More info:  The Spooky Men’s Chorale Beyond Equality FSB – Federation of Small Businesses ‘Building Bridges’: Principles for work with men and boys to end violence against women and girls Equimundo Mencare White Ribbon UK Prof Becky Francis Harriet Harman Prof Steven Roberts Music:  ' Now is time ', courtesy of  Chaps' Choir  and  Dom Stichbury . Please note that the transcript is a rough estimation and is likely to contain errors. Please do not reproduce without permission.

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  Episode #66

  Boys' Emotional Lives and the Centrality of Relationships to their Development - Dr Judy Y Chu

  Jul 19, 20261h 8m

  Sorry for the technical issues with this episode - we have re-released it and hopefully it should work fine now! Boys are often portrayed as incapable of or uninterested in developing emotionally close relationships. But Dr Judy Y Chu’s pioneering research shows that from a young age boys show significant relational capacities, such as empathy for others, emotional sensitivity, articulacy and attentiveness. In this episode, she describes the process of boys’ development, highlighting how, as they age, they come under pressure to conform to patriarchal norms of ‘being a man’. Despite the privileges that patriarchy confers, when pressured to ‘prove’ their masculinity by eschewing anything deemed feminine, adolescent boys learn to deny and devalue their emotional range and relational qualities. By hindering the emotionally close relationships they need to thrive, boys’ gender socialisation can make them more susceptible to psychological and social harms, such as mental health issues, alcohol and drug misuse, and violence. Responding to these issues and wider cultural pressures such as the Manosphere, Judy emphasises that we can support boys’ healthy development by normalising their capacity for emotionally close relations, promoting positive ways of being, and helping them to recognise and resist restrictive masculine norms. Judy is an educator and researcher whose work examines boys’ gender socialisation, relationships, and development during early childhood and adolescence, drawing on her long-term collaboration with influential feminist psychologist Professor Carol Gilligan. She is the author of a book called ‘When Boys Become Boys’ , and recently contributed a chapter on boys' social and emotional development to the ‘Oxford Handbook on Masculinities and Mental Health’. For over 20 years, Judy taught a course on Boys' Psychosocial Development at Stanford University. She has served in advisory roles for non-profit organizations including Movember, Equimundo, Roots of Empathy, Build Up Boys, The Foundation for Positive Masculinity, and the American Psychological Association’s Task Force on Supporting Boys in Schools. Judy’s website LinkedIn Episode timeline Intro (00:00-02:32) Boys’ relational capacities (02:32-04:32) How these start to be concealed (04:32-07:49) How hiding their emotional selves can impact boys and men (07:49-11:00) The consequences for their relationships (11:00-14:14) Possibilities for reconnection with these emotional capabilities (14:14-17:28) What adults can do to help boys resist restrictive masculine norms (17:28-21:47) Break (21:47-21:59) Judy’s methodological approach (21:59-27:42) Examples of boys’ resistance which have stayed with Judy (27:42-34:50) How the suppression of boys’ relationality can damage their self-esteem (34:50-39:57) What got Judy interested in feminist research with boys (39:57-47:24) How it affects her as a parent (47:24-51:46) How to respond to young men being drawn into the Manosphere (51:46-58:11) Conclusion (58:11-01:07:52) More info Carol Gilligan Stuart Miller – Men and Friendship Terry Real Michael Resnick et al. – Protecting adolescents from harm Joseph Pleck – The Myth of Masculinity Erving Goffman Fred Rogers Won't You Be My Neighbor documentary A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood Marc Brackett – Permission to Feel Neil Postman – Amusing Ourselves to Death Shaun Candaran, Australian Childhood Foundation Frosh, Phoenix and Pattman – 'Young Masculinities' Music: ' Now is time ', courtesy of Chaps' Choir and Dom Stichbury . Please note that the transcript is a rough estimation and is likely to contain errors. Please do not reproduce it without permission.

  ListenShow Notes
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  Episode #66

  Boys' Emotional Lives and the Centrality of Relationships to their Development - Dr Judy Y Chu

  Jul 16, 20261h 8m

  Boys are often portrayed as incapable of or uninterested in developing emotionally close relationships. But Dr Judy Y Chu’s pioneering research shows that from a young age boys show significant relational capacities, such as empathy for others, emotional sensitivity, articulacy and attentiveness. In this episode, she describes the process of boys’ development, highlighting how, as they age, they come under pressure to conform to patriarchal norms of ‘being a man’. Despite the privileges that patriarchy confers, when pressured to ‘prove’ their masculinity by eschewing anything deemed feminine, adolescent boys learn to deny and devalue their emotional range and relational qualities. By hindering the emotionally close relationships they need to thrive, boys’ gender socialisation can make them more susceptible to psychological and social harms, such as mental health issues, alcohol and drug misuse, and violence. Responding to these issues and wider cultural pressures such as the Manosphere, Judy emphasises that we can support boys’ healthy development by normalising their capacity for emotionally close relations, promoting positive ways of being, and helping them to recognise and resist restrictive masculine norms. Judy is an educator and researcher whose work examines boys’ gender socialisation, relationships, and development during early childhood and adolescence, drawing on her long-term collaboration with influential feminist psychologist Professor Carol Gilligan. She is the author of a book called ‘When Boys Become Boys’ , and recently contributed a chapter on boys' social and emotional development to the ‘Oxford Handbook on Masculinities and Mental Health’. For over 20 years, Judy taught a course on Boys' Psychosocial Development at Stanford University. She has served in advisory roles for non-profit organizations including Movember, Equimundo, Roots of Empathy, Build Up Boys, The Foundation for Positive Masculinity, and the American Psychological Association’s Task Force on Supporting Boys in Schools. Judy’s website LinkedIn Episode timeline Intro (00:00-02:32) Boys’ relational capacities (02:32-04:32) How these start to be concealed (04:32-07:49) How hiding their emotional selves can impact boys and men (07:49-11:00) The consequences for their relationships (11:00-14:14) Possibilities for reconnection with these emotional capabilities (14:14-17:28) What adults can do to help boys resist restrictive masculine norms (17:28-21:47) Break (21:47-21:59) Judy’s methodological approach (21:59-27:42) Examples of boys’ resistance which have stayed with Judy (27:42-34:50) How the suppression of boys’ relationality can damage their self-esteem (34:50-39:57) What got Judy interested in feminist research with boys (39:57-47:24) How it affects her as a parent (47:24-51:46) How to respond to young men being drawn into the Manosphere (51:46-58:11) Conclusion (58:11-01:07:52) More info Carol Gilligan Stuart Miller – Men and Friendship Terry Real Michael Resnick et al. – Protecting adolescents from harm Joseph Pleck – The Myth of Masculinity Erving Goffman Fred Rogers Won't You Be My Neighbor documentary A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood Marc Brackett – Permission to Feel Neil Postman – Amusing Ourselves to Death Shaun Candaran, Australian Childhood Foundation Frosh, Phoenix and Pattman – 'Young Masculinities' Music: ' Now is time ', courtesy of Chaps' Choir and Dom Stichbury . Please note that the transcript is a rough estimation and is likely to contain errors - please do not reproduce it without permission.

  ListenShow Notes
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  Episode #65

  Crafting New Pathways for Young Men Through Poetry - Sam Browne

  Jun 2, 20261h 4mS0

  <p>Can poetry change the way people see the world? Can it help men to deal with and open up about their own vulnerabilities – and help to shift ideas about manhood? We talk to 21-year-old spoken word poet Sam Browne about how it has had exactly these impacts on him, and how he is now using poetry to express his deepest feelings and struggles – and to push back against anti-feminist forces such as the manosphere. In the process, Sam’s art highlights alternative ways of being for young men centred on love, care, and connection – whilst giving voice to the pain of...

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  Episode #64

  Countering Militarised Masculinities: A Structural Approach to Mobilising Men for Feminist Peace - Dean Peacock

  Apr 30, 20261h 7mS0

  <p>What are militarised masculinities, and how are they influencing the many current conflicts around the world, including the US and Israel’s war against Iran? What are the main drivers of men’s involvement in armed conflict? And what does it mean to mobilise men for feminist peace? In this episode Dean Peacock reflects on the issues that underpin structural and interpersonal violence in our multi-polar world. Whilst it is important to focus on patriarchal norms and pressures around masculinities, he argues that other factors – such as economic interests, the arms industry, resource extraction, land dispossession, state repression, corruption, coloni...

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