Now and Men

Sandy Ruxton & Stephen Burrell
  • 3.0 (2)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
  • UPDATED MONTHLY

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.

  1. 'Fit, Strong, Virile': How Masculinity Disciplines Men's Bodies - Prof Brendan Gough

    18H AGO

    'Fit, Strong, Virile': How Masculinity Disciplines Men's Bodies - Prof Brendan Gough

    Many men are now engaging in a variety of behaviours traditionally associated with femininity – such as trying to make their bodies look good, worrying about their fertility, and opening up about their emotions. But what is driving these shifts? And to what extent do such practices challenge conventional norms of masculinity, or reinforce them? In this episode, Prof Brendan Gough discusses his wide-ranging research on contemporary constructions of masculinity.  We explore the pressures patriarchal societies place on men: to be fit and healthy, lean and muscular, sexually virile, and self-reliant, and how these combine with neoliberal expectations that disciplining our bodies and having good wellbeing is an individual responsibility. We also discuss the ways in which these norms are being subtly challenged and changed, for example through efforts to encourage men to be open and honest about their feelings and struggles such as depression, and provide support to one other, including in online communities. Brendan reflects on what can help to steer this change in healthy directions – and how spaces such as the Manosphere may be exacerbating men’s insecurities about their bodies. He also considers the strengths and weaknesses of the UK government’s new men’s health strategy and health promotion efforts aimed at men. Brendan is a critical social psychologist and qualitative researcher based at Leeds Beckett University in the UK. Over several decades, he has published a wealth of research on men and masculinities, particularly in relation to health, lifestyle, and wellbeing. University profile pageLinkedIn‘Contemporary Masculinities: Embodiment, Emotion and Wellbeing’ (Palgrave Macmillan, 2018)‘(In)Fertile Male Bodies: Masculinities and Lifestyle Management in Neoliberal Times’ (with Dr Esmée Hanna, Emerald, 2022) Episode timeline IntroWhat sparked Brendan’s interest in masculinity (02:08-05:40)The positives as well as harms of online spaces (05:40-09:36)Men’s complex current relationship with gender equality (09:36-13:44)‘Healthism’ and its connections to masculinity (13:44-15:40)The use of masculine norms in health promotion (15:40-19:55)The UK govt’s men’s healthy strategy (19:55-24:29)BreakMen’s struggles with body image (24:41-28:53)How attention towards appearance is rationalised in masculine terms (28:53-32:00)‘Metrosexuality’ and grooming practices (32:00-34:01)Pressures to have a lean and muscular body (34:01-36:18)The impact of infertility on men (36:18-41:39)Men’s bodies as machines (41:39-42:34)What helps men share their experiences of depression (42:34-45:58)The use of ‘masculine capital’ to legitimise vulnerability (45:58-47:57)The value of peer support (47:57-49:45)The influence of the manosphere (49:45-51:40)Conclusion (52:12-01:00:30) More info Margaret Wetherell and Nigel EdleyAndy’s Man...

    1h 1m

  2. FEB 4

    Now and Men - 2026 Trailer

    Since 2021, Now and Men has been initiating conversations about changing masculinities and challenging norms. New episodes drop every month - listen wherever you get your podcasts, and share with anyone interested in men's role in gender equality! Music: 'Now is time', courtesy of Chaps' Choir and Dom Stichbury.

    2 min
  3. Men on the Margins: Supporting Engaged Fatherhood - Prof Anna Tarrant

    JAN 13

    Men on the Margins: Supporting Engaged Fatherhood - Prof Anna Tarrant

    Fathers on low-incomes and young fathers are often portrayed in media and politics as ‘feckless’ and ‘failing’. Father absence is blamed for a wide range of social problems, including crime, antisocial behaviour, and poor educational outcomes. These discourses have intensified in the UK in recent months with renewed assertions about a ‘crisis of masculinity’. However, Professor Anna Tarrant’s research over many years demonstrates that most fathers, including those who are young or experiencing poverty, very much want to care for their children. Yet they face numerous structural obstacles in doing so, such as a lack of secure jobs, suitable housing, or welfare support, and being sidelined by services who may see them as inherently ‘risky’. Young fathers in particular (as with young mothers) are frequently presented as a ‘social problem’.  Anna’s research challenges these unhelpful stereotypes, shining a light on the ways in which many young men and working-class fathers (as well as grandfathers, uncles, brothers, and other family members) are engaging in love and caregiving, with transformative impacts on them, their children, and their partners. She discusses what changes need to happen for policies and services to become more ‘father-inclusive’ without undermining vital support for mothers, and why this is good for gender equality and for society as a whole.  Anna Tarrant is a Professor of Sociology at the University of Lincoln (UK), a UKRI (UK Research and Innovation) Future Leaders Fellow, and Director of the Centre for Innovation in Fatherhood and Family Research. She is currently the Director of the UKRI-funded Future Leaders Fellowship study, 'Following Young Fathers Further'. She has written three books:  The Dynamics of Young Fatherhood (with Bren Neale, Policy Press, 2024)Men, Families and Poverty (with Kahryn Hughes, Palgrave Macmillan, 2023)Fathering and Poverty: Uncovering Men's Family Participation in Low Income Families (Policy Press, 2021)Follow Anna on LinkedInAnna is also the Director of the Father-Inclusion Hub She is also co-editor, with Linzi Ladlow and Laura Way, of the book ‘Men and Welfare’ (Routledge, 2022), in which Sandy and Stephen have a chapter on ‘Men, work, and care in the UK in the wake of COVID-19’. Episode timeline IntroNotions of a ‘crisis of masculinity’ due to fatherlessness (02:59-08:17)Obstacles low-income fathers face (08:17-11:12)Lack of housing (11:12-13:21)Why young fathers are constructed as a ‘social problem’ (13:21-17:27)Barriers to services engaging with fathers (17:27-22:12)Break How gender norms influence societal perceptions of fathers (22:22-25:10)Working with fathers who have been abusive (25:10-28:50)What a father-inclusive approach looks...

    1 hr
  4. Martial Law, Gender Conflict, and the ‘Feminist Reboot’ in South Korea - Goldie Kim

    12/03/2025

    Martial Law, Gender Conflict, and the ‘Feminist Reboot’ in South Korea - Goldie Kim

    How have young feminists challenged the patriarchal culture of South Korea in recent times? How are young men reacting to the upsurge in support for feminist ideas and activism? What is the background to the dramatic conflict around gender and masculinity in the country the last few years, and how might it be resolved? Please note: This episode includes discussion about sexual violence. On 3rd December 2024, a huge political upheaval took place which drew global attention when President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law. But this only lasted six hours as opposition lawmakers managed to get past the police and military, gain entry to the Assembly, and pass a resolution to lift it. Young women in the so-called “cheering light brigade” and the “kisses squad” played a key part in the pro-democracy movement that grew to impeach the President, staying out in public squares in freezing temperatures to demonstrate.  These events followed a long-standing backlash against gender equality in South Korea, and the gains for women’s rights made since the 1980s. Three years of Yoon’s Presidency led to a dramatic roll-back on hard-won gender equality policies. He pledged to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, withdrew plans for a non-consensual sex law, undermined safe abortion service, and removed funding for sexuality and human rights education. These regressive moves reflect the rise of Manosphere communities over the past decade, fuelling men’s grievances against feminism and legitimising men’s violence against women in South Korea. Whilst the country leads the world in internet connectivity and hi-tech innovation, anti-feminist online spaces have become breeding grounds for various forms of digital crime, such as spy cameras in public toilets and deepfake pornography. So how have feminists been responding to this, how can solidarity be built among men and women amidst these divisions, and what lessons does this provide for gender equality advocates around the world? Our guest is Myoung Ryoon Kim (better known as Goldie). She’s an educator in the prevention of gender-based violence and an activist for gender equality. A graduate of Kyung-Hee University, Goldie has held numerous positions in South Korean NGOs working on gender issues over the past 30 years. In 2025, she became the Director of GOMA (Gender Justice Organisation for More Action) Korea, and is one of the founders and current co-coordinator of K-MEN (the newly-formed Korean MenEngage Network). She talks honestly about her personal experience of gender violence, how she became involved in this struggle, and how she maintains her motivation to continue through such difficult times. Episode timeline IntroThe social position of women in South Korea today (02:49-06:14)Femicide and the Gangnam Station Exit 10 Murder Case (06:14-09:58)‘Soranet’ and men’s violence against women online (09:58-15:29)The rise of the Manosphere and tech-facilitated abuse in South Korea (15:29-20:47)The ‘Feminist Reboot’ that has emerged in response (20:47-25:26)BreakReversals in gender equality under President Suk Yeol Yoon (25:35-28:25)Yoon’s masculinist attempt to impose martial law (28:25-31:04)The pro-democracy movement led by young women (31:04-35:33)Support for right-wing politicians among some...

    1 hr
  5. Towards Progressive Masculinities? Young Working-Class Men in Transition - Prof Steven Roberts

    11/07/2025

    Towards Progressive Masculinities? Young Working-Class Men in Transition - Prof Steven Roberts

    Is masculinity ‘under attack’, and are boys increasingly ‘lost’? How valid are concerns about boys’ and young men’s achievement in education? What is the impact on them – and girls and young women – of the rise of the Manosphere and right-wing populism? In this episode, Prof Steven Roberts argues that the picture is much more complicated than is often presented, with, for instance, mixed effects on different racial and class groups. He challenges the pervasive narrative that tells young men gender equality threatens their positions and that traditional gender norms must be reasserted, arguing that this backward-looking approach feeds a sense of ‘manufactured outrage’ and ‘instructed victimhood’ among men and boys.  Instead, he stresses the need for an alternative discourse which embraces gender equality, builds on the under-recognised positive changes taking place in (working-class) masculinity, and provides a more hopeful vision. He suggests, for instance, that many young working-class men find ways to adapt to the shifting labour market, working in sectors which are not seen as traditionally masculine such as retail and care, and forging more complex masculine identities as a result.  Drawing on his research with Dr Stephanie Wescott in schools, Steven highlights the impact of sexist and misogynistic behaviour among young men influenced by the Manosphere and the complicity and responsibility of schools, and what they should do to promote gender-based violence prevention and early intervention work and develop wider school culture, norms, and leadership.  Steven also talks movingly about the sustained violence and controlling behaviour he experienced from men when growing up, the impact on his work and life, and his remarkable transition to being an academic. He draws attention to the wider implications, including, for example, how the significance and prevalence of men’s violence is often downplayed, and the importance of breaking men’s silence on this issue.   Steven is a Professor of Sociology in the School of Social Sciences at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. He has published numerous journal articles, (co-)authored three books, and edited six more about changes and continuities in boys and men's masculinity practices, and inequalities in young people’s transitions to adulthood. Steven makes regular contributions to the media and other forms of public discussion. He writes frequently, for example, for the ABC, the Conversation and Women’s Agenda, and has appeared in a raft of media outlets in print, TV and radio nationally and internationally. Steven’s profileLinkedIn Episode timeline IntroThe play Inter Alia (00:41-03:35)What drew Steven to working on masculinity (03:35-05:59)What made Steven share his experiences of men’s violence (05:59-08:43)Encouraging other men to share their stories (08:43-10:37)Sexism and misogyny in schools today (10:37-15:52)Where boys are learning this behaviour from (15:52-20:17)Manufactured outrage around young men being ‘under attack’ (20:17-23:34)The masculinist politics of ‘protecting the nation’ (23:34-28:06)The relationship between class, race, and the rise of the far-right (28:06-32:54)Changing the discourse around boys and young men (32:54-36:36)BreakThe limitations of narratives about boys’ performance at school (36:46-41:22)Wellbeing struggles among both girls and boys...

    1h 10m
  6. After Apartheid: Masculinity, Love and Violence in today's South Africa - Prof Kopano Ratele

    10/08/2025

    After Apartheid: Masculinity, Love and Violence in today's South Africa - Prof Kopano Ratele

    What role does love have to play in transforming men and masculinities? Why is it that so many men and boys struggle to give and receive love, yet feel great hunger for it? How should we understand the complex relationship between masculinity, love, and violence – why do men enact violence towards the people we claim to love? Why do dominant notions of masculinity often conflict with love and vulnerability? We discuss these issues with Kopano Ratele, Professor of Psychology at the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa, drawing on his recent book ‘Why Men Hurt Women and Other Reflections on Love, Violence and Masculinity’, published in 2022 by Wits University Press. Kopano puts forward honest personal reflections about his own experiences with love as a partner, father, psychologist and researcher in the field of men and masculinities. The second part of the episode explores Kopano’s vital work on critical and cultural African psychology, and the need to apply a decolonial lens to men and masculinities work. Decolonisation involves not only the process of undoing colonial rule, but also deeper shifts away from Western systems and structures of knowledge and power – including in our own psyches. Applying this approach to gender relations, Kopano highlights how a vibrant, Global South range of scholarship on men and masculinities now exists, which asks questions of dominant Western-centric frameworks. For example, he draws attention to the complex position of men of colour in Africa, who may simultaneously have some degree of male privilege, whilst also having been marginalised by colonisation. Our discussion concludes with his thoughts on the ‘softer’ masculinity displayed by South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, and what impact his condemnation of violence against women and related policy initiatives are having on the very high levels of violence in the country.  Kopano has published an extensive body of work focusing on the core themes of this episode. Alongside authoring multiple books, chapters, and journal articles, he has served as a member of the Ministerial Committee on Transformation in South African Universities, convener of the National Research Foundation’s Specialist Committee for Psychology Rating Panel, president of the Psychological Society of South Africa, and chairperson of Sonke Gender Justice. Episode timeline IntroWhy Kopano is interested in questions of love (02:30-04:39)Why so many men struggle to give and receive love (04:39-08:54)The relationship between (an absence of) love and men’s violence (08:54-13:37)Kopano’s own personal struggles with love (13:37-17:42)Opening oneself up to vulnerability (17:42-20:27)Helping men to embrace a loving masculinity (20:27-26:03)How Kopano became involved in profeminism (26:03-31:42)BreakWhy men and masculinity studies needs to be decolonised (31:53-41:56)The complexities of masculinity, race and power in Africa (41:56-48:17)Cyril Ramaphosa’s Oval Office exchange with Donald Trump (48:17-49:59)Ramaphosa’s vocal condemnation of violence against women (49:59-54:06)Pushing for deeper social change in South Africa post-Apartheid (54:06-56:01)Conclusion (56:32-01:04:45) Music, 'a href="https://url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/jWvhCK1qwBSD4w4Y9HvhNI5VoWH?domain=open.spotify.com"...

    1h 5m
  7. "Women's Wars are not Men's Wars" - Prof Cynthia Enloe and Feminist Curiosity in Times of Militarisation

    09/03/2025

    "Women's Wars are not Men's Wars" - Prof Cynthia Enloe and Feminist Curiosity in Times of Militarisation

    How do women and men suffer in different ways in wartime? How are distorted ideas about masculinity and femininity manipulated to promote and justify wars and recruit men to fight? What can be done to counter a return to patriarchal societies post-conflict? How are feminists responding to increasing militarisation in these dark times?  Over many years, Cynthia Enloe has drawn on women’s first-hand experiences of war to show how patriarchy and militarism have become embedded in institutions and personal lives. Her analysis highlights how wartime shapes the gendered politics of issues such as marriage, family, work, childcare, food, income, prostitution, domestic violence and rape. She criticises the notion of a hierarchy of wartime suffering between women and men and draws attention to how men are coerced into being soldiers, framed as protectors of women, conscripted into militaries, and suffer death, injury and trauma in large numbers from direct wartime violence. She also shows how women’s emotional and physical labour is exploited by governments to support war-waging policies, and how different groups of women and men have tried to resist these efforts.  In this episode, Cynthia reflects on these issues in particular in relation to the ongoing war in Ukraine, and the underlying patriarchal ideas and processes that perpetuate the conflict. Echoing a perceptive and long-standing theme in her work, she brings a feminist curiosity to what she sees, and encourages observers to remain attentive to the full range of questions that should be asked, rather than narrowing focus and leaping to easy assumptions.   Cynthia Enloe is an activist, researcher and teacher, and still engaged - in her words - in the lifetime process of ‘becoming a feminist’. She is Research Professor at Clark University in Massachusetts and internationally renowned for her work on the interactions of feminism, women, militarised culture, war, politics, and globalised economics in countries such as Japan, Iraq, the US, Britain, the Philippines, Canada, Chile, and Turkey. She’s written 15 ground-breaking books, including her latest Twelve Feminist Lessons of War, 2023 (Footnote Press/University of California Press), for which she reads the audiobook. Among many accolades, in 2018 she was selected to be named on the Gender Justice Legacy Wall at the International Criminal Court in The Hague. Cynthia’s profile‘Twelve Feminist Lessons of War’ (UK, US, Australia) Episode timeline IntroLearning from Ukrainian feminists (01:38-10:18)The multiple roles women are expected to play during war (10:18-15:52)How even insurgent movements can foster post-war patriarchy (15:52-16:57)The insidiousness of ‘returning to normal’ (16:57-17:32)The return of the Taliban and the MAGA movement (17:32-19:25)Why women’s wars are not men’s wars (19:25-28:43)How masculinity and femininity are used to justify war (28:43-36:53)BreakPutin’s strategies to recruit Russian men to fight (37:05-43:15)Nurturing feminist curiosity (43:15-48:45)The surge in militarisation across the world (48:45-56:21)Why we need to look beyond the big leaders (56:21-01:02:33)How Cynthia became the feminist she is today (01:02:33-01:05:45)What men can do to...

    1h 15m
  8. Addressing the Gendered Harms of AI and the Tech Industry - Prof Clare McGlynn

    08/06/2025

    Addressing the Gendered Harms of AI and the Tech Industry - Prof Clare McGlynn

    How are artificial intelligence and other technologies exacerbating misogyny and undermining women’s rights and safety? What are the emerging forms of violence against women and girls being facilitated by AI, such as deepfakes and nudify apps? What is driving so many men to view and create such material, and how is it shaping their sexual attitudes and behaviours? What actions are needed to address these harms, and by whom? For many years, Prof Clare McGlynn has been at the forefront of efforts to tackle the devastating impacts of online violence against women and to establish stronger forms of regulation. Central to her work on sexual violence are the perspectives of victims and survivors, particularly their understandings of what justice means to them.  In this episode, we explore her approach to these issues and some of the challenges involved, including the masculinist dynamics of the highly profitable tech and porn companies, and obstacles in attempting to regulate the transformation of these industries in recent years.   Clare also talks about recent aspects of her influential advocacy work.  For example, she provided legal expertise to the successful campaign to persuade the UK Government to adopt a law criminalising the creation and solicitation of sexually explicit ‘deepfakes’. We explore too her work to reduce the easy and growing availability, and adverse impacts, of extreme and abusive pornography (including ‘strangulation porn’ and ‘incest porn’). She outlines her involvement in the campaign to tackle the harms of strangulation in mainstream pornography.  We conclude by discussing with Clare what led her to focus increasingly on online and tech-facilitated harms in her work, and how her sense of responsibility and justice sustains her in continuing to research such distressing issues.  Clare is a Professor of Law at Durham University, with particular expertise in the legal regulation of pornography, sexual violence and online abuse, especially image-based sexual abuse (i.e. taking, creating, and sharing intimate images without consent). In 2020, she was appointed an Honorary KC (Kings Counsel) in recognition of her exceptional work within the legal profession. Clare’s website: https://www.claremcglynn.comDurham University profile: https://www.durham.ac.uk/staff/clare-mcglynn/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clare-mcglynn-32b898238/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claremcglynn_/ Episode timeline IntroductionHow AI is deepening gender inequality (02:34-04:21)Emerging AI-driven forms of violence against women (04:21-06:08)The masculinist dynamics of the tech industry (06:08-08:52)Why attempts to regulate Big Tech have been so lacklustre (08:52-11:31)The new UK law Clare helped to introduce criminalising ‘deepfake’ images (11:31-16:44)Why the criminal law can be a useful tool for feminist campaigners (16:44-19:34)Why debates about ‘carceral feminism’ should not be reduced to either/or (19:34-24:23)Victim-survivors’ wide-ranging perceptions of justice (24:23-26:27)BreakWhat is driving so many men to engage in image-based sexual abuse (26:35-29:56)Why the online world is not simply a reflection of wider society (29:56-31:35)The role of pornography and how it’s shifted over time, e.g. ‘incest porn’ (31:35-36:55)The personal impacts of doing...

    1h 3m
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About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Sandy Ruxton & Stephen Burrell
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    65
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Sandy Ruxton & Stephen Burrell
  • Show Website
    Now and Men