After nearly two years in operation, the University Men’s Center is continuing to stress the importance of breaking down male stereotypes and challenging the “myths of masculinity.”
Students have the opportunity during weekly meetings to explore and discuss what it means to be male in what directors call a “safe place.” From sex and relationships to stress and depression, the topics cover a variety of men’s health aspects, Men’s Center Director David Miller said.
“I think we’re trying to raise awareness of the contextual nature of men’s health,” he said.
He explained that men learn through socialization, which often revolves around mainstream ideals of masculinity.
“There’s a wide range of possibilities when it comes to being men,” he said, adding that men should feel comfortable living “outside the masculine code.”
Nontraditional Student Union Director Steven Burns said the discussions challenged stereotypes of men as insensitive and uncaring.
Miller said both men and women are encouraged to attend the weekly meetings Thursdays from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. in the EMU’s Nontraditional Student Union, beginning today in EMU 20.
“We really want to move away from the idea that there are men’s issues and women’s’ issues,” he said.
He said sexual assault, for example, is generally thought to be a “women’s issue,” but it affects men as well, which is why the center will hold its second annual “Men Against Sexual Assault” walk-a-thon April 28-29.
Jon Davies, a senior staff psychologist with the University Counseling and Testing Center, said the center aims to help men live healthier by expressing their emotions and recognizing needs.
“We don’t have to be macho all the time,” he said.
While the campus is about half male and half female, males comprise about 90 percent of student conduct code violations, yet only one-third of those who seek counseling are male.
Miller, who became the center’s director last fall, said the Men’s Center is continuing to grow and develop since it was first established as a student-run organization.
“We’re building more liaisons within the University community,” he said.
Davies said he was initially concerned that the center would be perceived as “anti-woman,” but so far, it has established strong relationships with campus women as well as the ASUO Women’s Center.