Men's Work
16 Sep 2011 - 18 Sep 2011
Hear this term and what comes up more often than not is the idea of men doing physical labour; doing things that their strength and power allow them to do; the kind of things that the fairer sex might struggle with, or may have little interest in doing in any case! It’s good work and gives the average bloke a feeling of being relevant and important in the world.
Yet these values have changed in the modern world and are no longer necessarily enough. Ideas and expectations of what it is to be a man and what a man must do to feel he is fulfilling his life purpose today, present a very different proposition to the days where women’s business was defined by what was happening in and around the home and children, and the man’s job was to simply go out into the world to ‘bring home the bacon’!
Sadly these days, many men often have trouble finding their right place and purpose. Weighed down by misplaced perceptions and expectations coming from both inside and outside of themselves, and lacking obvious guidance and support, they can become confused and distant. This can then lead to self-destructive behaviour patterns and a “snowball” effect where the younger generation of boys and young men following them, have fewer positive role models to aspire to, and the community is left diminished.
Over the last twenty years or so there has been a growing number of men who have become disquieted enough by these issues to be prompted to commence a dialogue with other men to try and search out a new definition of themselves and ‘men’s work’. This has been most significantly articulated in such works as Steve Biddulph’s ‘Manhood’ among others.
Out of this has grown a number of annual men’s gatherings held Australia wide, where men come together for a few days to explore these questions, and generally celebrate other ways of defining how they see their place in the world.
In September of last year, a number of South Coast men decided to hold such a Gathering. It was called MASC (Man Alive South Coast). The general consensus from the men who attended was that this kind of event was unique and a very important forum for sharing, learning and community building, and should become an enduring event.
So the cry was heeded, and the second annual Gathering is on again this year! Information about it can be found by either visiting the Men’s Wellbeing website (menswellbeing.org..au), and following the links to ‘Common Ground Events’, then MASC. Or alternatively interested men can contact either Dave Macquart on 0402 121102 or Neil Fox 0402 016564 from the MASC committee. The dates are September 16-18th, 2011. The venue will again be Berry Sport and Rec Centre, just outside of Berry.
All men are welcome!
Dave Macquart