A new program at NAIT is challenging men to think critically about their own masculinity, and what it means to be a man. The Men at NAIT (M.A.N.) program is delivered as a series of eight weekly meetings, with topics ranging from general masculinity, to online interactions, to what to do if one witnesses a sexual assault. These meetings are mandatory for completion of the program, and take place as open discussions, to encourage the sharing of feelings.
The idea originally came from a similar program that began at Northwestern University in Illinois. The concept has travelled around different institutions, and changed over time. This led to NAIT adopting the idea, and creating the M.A.N. program, which is still being refined as it is still in the early stages.
Even though the M.A.N. program has been running for just a few weeks, its facilitator Tim Ira, says it has already found success. “The men have been really vulnerable, and the men are sharing.” He hopes that if the program continues to succeed in getting men on campus to open up about their own masculinity, that this will create a “positive culture of consent and communication.”
Ira says the end goal of the program is to have more men on campus who can lead a discussion about topics related to toxic masculinity. Men who take the program are also encouraged to intervene when they witness an example of this type of behaviour.
