Chapter 7: Deconstructing dominant masculine culture and addressing men’s violence
In the late 1980s, feminists (including Cheryl White) challenged and invited Michael and other male therapists to commit themselves to developing effective ways of working with men who have been violent to women and children. In the late 1980s and early 1990s this was a substantial part of Michael White’s work. Other men in Adelaide, including Alan Jenkins (1990) and Rob Hall (1996) also took up this challenge.
Please watch this short teaching video of Michael speaking about working with a man who had been violent.
For those interested in this area, there are two key papers to read.
- Men’s culture, the men’s movement, & the constitution of men’s lives. This paper from 1995 of Michael’s is not well known. If you find any of it a bit difficult to read, feel free to just read the exercises at the end of the paper of the footnotes! They are sparkling.
- The Responsibilities: Working with men who have perpetrated violence. This chapter was published after Michael White’s death. Please read David Denborough’s Editor’s Note, which explains how it was constructed, and then the chapter itself.
For those wanting to explore this realm further, we recommend the book Men’s Ways of Being, edited by Maggie Carey, Chris McLean and Cheryl White
References
Jenkins, A. (1990). Invitations to Responsibility: The therapeutic engagement of men who are violent and abusive. Adelaide: Dulwich Centre Publications
Hall, R. (1996). Partnership Accountability. In C. McLean, M. Carey & C. White [Eds.] Men’s Ways of Being. Routledge, New York.