Boys, masculinity and health care: UNE hosts documentary screening for future health professionals

On October 5, 2016, the University of New England’s Applied Arts and Social Justice program, the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) and Maine Boys to Men hosted a screening for students of the documentary, The Mask You Live In. The film follows boys and young men as they struggle to stay true to themselves while negotiating America’s narrow definition of masculinity.

Pressured by the media, their peer group and even the adults in their lives, the boys and young men in the film confront messages encouraging them to disconnect from their emotions, devalue authentic friendships, objectify and degrade women and resolve conflicts through violence. These gender stereotypes interconnect with race, class and circumstance, creating a maze of identity issues boys and young men must navigate to become “real” men. Experts in neuroscience, psychology, sociology, sports, education and media also weigh in, offering empirical evidence of the “boy crisis” and tactics to combat it.

Following the film, Maine Boys to Men led a discussion among UNE students and faculty about how we, as a society, can raise a healthier generation of boys and young men and the roles they play as future health care providers.

The Mission of Maine Boys to Men is to reduce interpersonal violence, specifically male violence against women and girls, and support the development of emotionally fluent, civically engaged boys. Through its nationally recognized Reducing Sexism and Violence Program (RSVP), boys, girls, men and women are brought together as allies in support of gender justice and against gender based violence. RSVP is a nationally recognized set of curriculums that help boys reach their potential to become emotionally healthy, respectful, non-violent men. The intensive program empowers youth and adult participants to serve as leaders who drive social change within their communities. Visit http://www.maineboystomen.org to learn more.

UNE’s Interprofessional Education Collaborative was formally established in 2010 to solidify UNE’s historic commitment to interprofessional academic and community-based programming that prepares the next generation of health care leaders for team-based practice. The School of Social Work’s Applied Arts and Social Justice Certificate connects students with some of the may ways the arts (in this case, a documentary film) can help to bring about social change.

To learn more about the University of New England’s Interprofessional Education Collaborative visit www.une.edu/wchp/ipec

To apply, visit www.une.edu/admissions