New Men's Groups Aim to Turn Masculinity on Its Head

Earlier this year, US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy put up a red flag on the widespread loneliness afflicting the United States. Now, groups around the country are forming to allow connections to be forged that might help alleviate that mass feeling of isolation—groups specifically for men, in what Tara Bahrampour calls the embrace of "an alternative conception of American masculinity." Writing for the Washington Post, Bahrampour talks about the currently prevailing notion that men should be able to take care of themselves and not wear their emotions on their sleeve, especially when it comes to their interactions with other men. She notes that reinforcement for this alpha-male stereotype continues to emanate from pop culture and even politicians, including former President Donald Trump.

GOP Sen. Josh Hawley even has a book out entitled Manhood: The Masculine Virtues America Needs. But Bahrampour cites the suicide rate among men compared to women—nearly four times higher in 2021—and says the current hypermasculinity model drives unhealthy competition, anxiety, and what one NYU professor calls a "cowboy mentality," where men won't accept help from others. That's where groups with names like Evryman and the ManKind Project come in, allowing men to be more vulnerable. With in-person and virtual meetings that focus on "breathwork" and deep conversations during "circle" time, these groups give men the space to take their rougher emotions and "release them into the darkness." "Feel the connection to your brothers," one group leader told participants during a recent session. The rest of Bahrampour's story here. (More masculinity stories.)