Cliff Leek

Type

Text

Type

Dissertation

Advisor

Kimmel, Michael. | Moran, Timothy | Fallon, Kathleen | Baiocchi, Gianpaolo.

Date

2017-08-01

Keywords

Sociology -- Gender studies. | Gender | International Development | NGOs

Department

Department of Sociology.

Language

en_US

Source

This work is sponsored by the Stony Brook University Graduate School in compliance with the requirements for completion of degree

Identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/11401/78159

Publisher

The Graduate School, Stony Brook University: Stony Brook, NY.

Format

application/pdf

Abstract

Increased attention in recent years to how men and conceptualizations of masculinities affect global efforts for gender equality has resulted in a rapidly growing field of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that engage men and boys on gender equality issues and new programs to engage men within women’s rights NGOs. Because this work is framed as a means to international development and is performed primarily with funding from international aid agencies, it is crucial to understand how this work changes over time and its impact on the larger development agenda. This dissertation addresses the following questions: What have been the driving forces behind the inclusion of work on men and masculinities in the international development agenda? How have NGOs implementing the programming to engage men and boys experienced this growth? What are the points of contestation around efforts to engage men in the development agenda? And, what can changes in the framing of these efforts tell us about the trajectory of the field? A mixed methodological investigation, including in-depth interviews with staff of NGOs and funding agencies, content analysis of documents produced by NGOs and international organizations, and participant observation and international meetings and conferences, reveals that 1) entrepreneurs in the field played an important role in securing a place for work on gender with men and boys in the international agenda, 2) that there are funding mechanisms that are (re)producing inequalities among NGOs in the field, 3) that many feminist women have specific concerns about the impact of efforts to engage men on existing funding and political space for women’s rights and empowerment, and 4) that the framing of efforts to engage men and boys increasingly emphasizes men’s gendered vulnerabilities rather than women’s rights and empowerment. The conclusion of this dissertation contextualizes these findings in the contemporary landscape of international development and considers a new way forward. | 157 pages

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