Papers by Cliff Leek
This case study demonstrates how researchers may use critical frame analysis for policy analysis ... more This case study demonstrates how researchers may use critical frame analysis for policy analysis by closely examining its application to international gender equality policies. Critical frame analysis, a variation of Erving Goffman's frame analysis tailored specifically for the comparative analysis of social policy, positions the researcher to develop an understanding of how and why policies differ from one another. The method tasks researchers with specifically focusing on how social problems and their solutions are framed as a means for understanding the goals, outcomes, and power dynamics inherent in policies. This case study demonstrates the potential of this under-utilized method as a tool for policy analysis.
Given the increasing prominence of both bystander-based approaches to gender-based violence (GBV)... more Given the increasing prominence of both bystander-based approaches to gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and of proactively engaging men and boys to join efforts to end GBV, understanding the factors that support men’s antiviolence bystander behavior is important. This study examined correlates of willingness to engage in violence preventative bystander behavior in a global sample of 299 adult men engaged in GBV
prevention events or work. Participants came from over 50 countries and provided data via an online, anonymous survey available in English, Spanish, and French. Path analysis was used to model participants’ willingness to engage in a variety of violence-preventative behaviors in the future, with variable selection guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and by research implicating gender-related attitudes in bystander willingness and behavior. Findings suggest that bystander willingness was supported by past bystander behavior, self-efficacy
to engage in bystander behavior, positive beliefs about the contributions of antiviolence involvement, and by an awareness of male privilege. Social network support for GBV prevention work, and support for gender equity were not significant correlates of bystander willingness in the full path model. These findings held across participants from the Global North and Global South, suggesting that self-efficacy, an awareness of
male privilege, and positive attitudes toward antiviolence work are factors which may support men’s violence preventative actions across broad regional contexts.
Existing research tells us that race is prominent in studies of men and masculinities but it does... more Existing research tells us that race is prominent in studies of men and masculinities but it doesn't help us to understand how race is discussed. We seek to begin a larger conversation on the state of race in studies of men and masculinities by examining how whiteness specifically emerges as a subject in three Men's Studies journals. Is race discussed in the respective research article at all? Is race used as an explanatory variable? And is whiteness 30 discussed in the writing? In addition to these basic quantitative findings, we also present qualitative interpretations of the overall trends we observed in order to illustrate the trajectory of the state of accounts of whiteness in the field of Men's Studies.
Objective
This paper aims to describe men’s perceptions of the nature and content of events impl... more Objective
This paper aims to describe men’s perceptions of the nature and content of events implemented globally to involve men in ending gender-based violence and to explore the degree to which the features of men’s prevention events differ across geographic regions.
Method
Data from 319 adult, male-identified individuals from 53 countries who had recently attended a prevention event were collected via a trilingual (English, Spanish, and French) online survey. Survey items assessed the recruitment strategies, substantive content, and content delivery methods of the most recent prevention event attended by participants.
Results
Overall, more participants attended events with an ongoing versus one-time format. Participants most commonly learned of an event through a direct invitation by an organization. Events included an average of four content delivery methods, most commonly group discussions and educational presentations. Multi-session events featured both more interactive delivery methods and coverage of more substantive topics. Some significant differences by geographical region appeared; for example, men in North America spent less time at their events than men in other regions, and events in Africa were more likely to feature interactive programming and survivors’ stories than did events in other regions.
Conclusion
The preponderance of multi-session and interactive programming in this sample is encouraging and consistent with principles of effective prevention. There may be a regional nature of the events to engage men in primary prevention of gender-based violence. Regional similarities and differences suggest the need for ongoing cross-regional discussion and learning regarding emerging effective approaches to involve men in ending violence.
Keywords
Engaging men Gender-based violence Prevention Events Regional analysis
As engaging men in gender-based violence prevention efforts becomes an increasingly institutional... more As engaging men in gender-based violence prevention efforts becomes an increasingly institutionalised component of gender equity work globally, clarity is needed about the strategies that best initiate male-identified individuals’ involvement in these efforts. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceived relevance and effectiveness of men’s engagement strategies from the perspective of men around the world who have organised or attended gender-based violence prevention events. Participants responded to an online survey (available in English, French and Spanish) and rated the effectiveness of 15 discrete engagement strategies derived from earlier qualitative work. Participants also provided suggestions regarding strategies in open-ended comments. Listed strategies cut across the social ecological spectrum and represented both venues in which to reach men, and the content of violence prevention messaging. Results suggest that all strategies, on average, were perceived as effective across regions of the world, with strategies that tailor messaging to topics of particular concern to men (such as fatherhood and healthy relationships) rated most highly. Open-ended comments also surfaced tensions, particularly related to the role of a gender analysis in initial men’s engagement efforts. Findings suggest the promise of cross-regional adaptation and information sharing regarding successful approaches to initiating men’s anti-violence involvement.
Organizations addressing gender-based violence (GBV) increasingly include men as partners in prev... more Organizations addressing gender-based violence (GBV) increasingly include men as partners in prevention efforts. However, little is known about men who get involved in those efforts and what specific actions they take. We present analyses of data from an international sample of men involved in gender-based prevention work that aimed to describe (a) the nature of participants’ involvement in prevention efforts, in both formal programming and in their daily lives; (b) characteristics of engaged men, including gender and bystander-related attitudes and beliefs, and social networks; and (c) factors that sustain men’s involvement in GBV movements over time. Comparisons across global regions for these variables were also conducted. A total of 379 male-identified participants above 18 who had attended a GBV event in the past year completed an online survey (available in English, French, and Spanish). Respondents represented all continents except Antarctica, although North America was over-represented in the sample. Overall, respondents scored well above North American norms for men on support for gender equality and recognition of male privilege, and this was true across all geographic regions. Men in all regions reported moderate support from friends and somewhat less support from male relatives for their involvement in GBV prevention. Respondents in all regions reported high levels of active bystander and violence-preventive behavior. The most commonly reported motivations for involvement in GBV prevention included concern for related social justice issues, exposure to the issue of violence through work, hearing a moving story, or disclosures about domestic or sexual violence. Results were mainly similar across regions, but when regional differences emerge, they tended to be contrasts between the global north and global south, highlighting the importance of cross-fertilization across regions and a willingness to adapt critical learnings in new geographic settings.
Sociological efforts to understand human action have either explicitly excluded violence from the... more Sociological efforts to understand human action have either explicitly excluded violence from their analysis or have dealt with violence only peripherally. Those approaches that directly address violence tend to view it as structural or systematic rather than as a cultural process. The approach proposed here infuses existing notions of cultural violence, motivation, justification, and answerability with feminist theories of intersectionality and assemblages to form an analytical lens which addresses the weaknesses that arise when these theories are utilized independently. Most importantly, this approach for analyzing violence focuses on the phenomenon of violence as a process rather than as a singular moment. This article introduces theorizes violence as a cultural process then considers the application of that theory in the context of three distinct phenomena: male perpetration of sexual violence against women, the involvement of Reserve Police Battalion 101 in the Holocaust in Poland, and the ongoing drone war in Pakistan.
In the last 20 years, gendered violence has come to the forefront of human rights and public heal... more In the last 20 years, gendered violence has come to the forefront of human rights and public health discourse as a global phenomenon and as a global health concern. As this awareness has increased, so has the emphasis on the important role that men play in the prevention of gendered violence. Funding is now pouring into relatively new organizations seeking to engage men, yet little research has been done to examine the patterns through which this work gets endorsed, funded, and executed. In-depth interviews with leaders of these organizations and their funders reveal the mechanisms by which a small number of organizations are able to obtain and maintain financial and political leadership in this growing global field. The impact of cumulative advantage on the work being done is also discussed.
Voice Male: The Untold Story of the Pro-Feminist Men's Movement, Feb 2014
Routledge International Handbook of Race, Class, and Gender
Gun Violence in Public Life
Book Reviews by Cliff Leek
The authoring team of Some Men: Feminist Allies and the Movement to End Violence against Women ta... more The authoring team of Some Men: Feminist Allies and the Movement to End Violence against Women takes on the daunting task of chronicling nearly half a century's worth of men's engagement with feminism and, more specifically, with the movement to end violence against women in North America. Messner, Greenberg, and Peretz rely on life history interviews with fifty-two men who have been involved in feminist efforts to end violence against women to illuminate the dynamics of an evolving movement of ally activism. Existing academic scholarship on men's involvement in violence prevention for the most part exists in the form of evaluations of specific programs or ethnographies of particular communities. Where the field risks missing the forest for the trees, Some Men takes a broader perspective by both assuming a social movement approach and historicizing men's involvement in violence prevention.
A growing body of research tackles the issues of masculinity, sexuality, and homophobic bullying ... more A growing body of research tackles the issues of masculinity, sexuality, and homophobic bullying in schools as news coverage of adolescent sexting, same-sex homecoming royalty, and gay teen suicides across the U.S. thrives. At the same time, the Catholic Church experiences an unprecedented dearth of young men seeking the priesthood and an ongoing global child abuse scandal. This is the world into which Kevin J. Burke introduces Masculinities and Other Hopeless Causes at an All-Boys Catholic School, a critical investigation of an educational institution that revolves around ideologies of gender and religion.
Conference Presentations by Cliff Leek
It is no secret that work to engage men, boys, and masculinities in the development agenda contin... more It is no secret that work to engage men, boys, and masculinities in the development agenda continues to face resistance on many fronts. As we all well know, the resistance often comes from anti-feminist individuals and organizations who oppose a progressive gender agenda. But, we would be remiss to ignore the reality that much of the criticism and opposition to this work also comes from feminists.
The research introduced in this brief explores the concerns driving feminist resistance to efforts to engage men and boys. Better understanding of these concerns is crucial to the development of a joint agenda for gender justice and it is my hope that it may pave the way for more meaningful partnerships with women and women’s rights organizations in the future.
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Papers by Cliff Leek
prevention events or work. Participants came from over 50 countries and provided data via an online, anonymous survey available in English, Spanish, and French. Path analysis was used to model participants’ willingness to engage in a variety of violence-preventative behaviors in the future, with variable selection guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and by research implicating gender-related attitudes in bystander willingness and behavior. Findings suggest that bystander willingness was supported by past bystander behavior, self-efficacy
to engage in bystander behavior, positive beliefs about the contributions of antiviolence involvement, and by an awareness of male privilege. Social network support for GBV prevention work, and support for gender equity were not significant correlates of bystander willingness in the full path model. These findings held across participants from the Global North and Global South, suggesting that self-efficacy, an awareness of
male privilege, and positive attitudes toward antiviolence work are factors which may support men’s violence preventative actions across broad regional contexts.
This paper aims to describe men’s perceptions of the nature and content of events implemented globally to involve men in ending gender-based violence and to explore the degree to which the features of men’s prevention events differ across geographic regions.
Method
Data from 319 adult, male-identified individuals from 53 countries who had recently attended a prevention event were collected via a trilingual (English, Spanish, and French) online survey. Survey items assessed the recruitment strategies, substantive content, and content delivery methods of the most recent prevention event attended by participants.
Results
Overall, more participants attended events with an ongoing versus one-time format. Participants most commonly learned of an event through a direct invitation by an organization. Events included an average of four content delivery methods, most commonly group discussions and educational presentations. Multi-session events featured both more interactive delivery methods and coverage of more substantive topics. Some significant differences by geographical region appeared; for example, men in North America spent less time at their events than men in other regions, and events in Africa were more likely to feature interactive programming and survivors’ stories than did events in other regions.
Conclusion
The preponderance of multi-session and interactive programming in this sample is encouraging and consistent with principles of effective prevention. There may be a regional nature of the events to engage men in primary prevention of gender-based violence. Regional similarities and differences suggest the need for ongoing cross-regional discussion and learning regarding emerging effective approaches to involve men in ending violence.
Keywords
Engaging men Gender-based violence Prevention Events Regional analysis
Book Reviews by Cliff Leek
Conference Presentations by Cliff Leek
The research introduced in this brief explores the concerns driving feminist resistance to efforts to engage men and boys. Better understanding of these concerns is crucial to the development of a joint agenda for gender justice and it is my hope that it may pave the way for more meaningful partnerships with women and women’s rights organizations in the future.
prevention events or work. Participants came from over 50 countries and provided data via an online, anonymous survey available in English, Spanish, and French. Path analysis was used to model participants’ willingness to engage in a variety of violence-preventative behaviors in the future, with variable selection guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and by research implicating gender-related attitudes in bystander willingness and behavior. Findings suggest that bystander willingness was supported by past bystander behavior, self-efficacy
to engage in bystander behavior, positive beliefs about the contributions of antiviolence involvement, and by an awareness of male privilege. Social network support for GBV prevention work, and support for gender equity were not significant correlates of bystander willingness in the full path model. These findings held across participants from the Global North and Global South, suggesting that self-efficacy, an awareness of
male privilege, and positive attitudes toward antiviolence work are factors which may support men’s violence preventative actions across broad regional contexts.
This paper aims to describe men’s perceptions of the nature and content of events implemented globally to involve men in ending gender-based violence and to explore the degree to which the features of men’s prevention events differ across geographic regions.
Method
Data from 319 adult, male-identified individuals from 53 countries who had recently attended a prevention event were collected via a trilingual (English, Spanish, and French) online survey. Survey items assessed the recruitment strategies, substantive content, and content delivery methods of the most recent prevention event attended by participants.
Results
Overall, more participants attended events with an ongoing versus one-time format. Participants most commonly learned of an event through a direct invitation by an organization. Events included an average of four content delivery methods, most commonly group discussions and educational presentations. Multi-session events featured both more interactive delivery methods and coverage of more substantive topics. Some significant differences by geographical region appeared; for example, men in North America spent less time at their events than men in other regions, and events in Africa were more likely to feature interactive programming and survivors’ stories than did events in other regions.
Conclusion
The preponderance of multi-session and interactive programming in this sample is encouraging and consistent with principles of effective prevention. There may be a regional nature of the events to engage men in primary prevention of gender-based violence. Regional similarities and differences suggest the need for ongoing cross-regional discussion and learning regarding emerging effective approaches to involve men in ending violence.
Keywords
Engaging men Gender-based violence Prevention Events Regional analysis
The research introduced in this brief explores the concerns driving feminist resistance to efforts to engage men and boys. Better understanding of these concerns is crucial to the development of a joint agenda for gender justice and it is my hope that it may pave the way for more meaningful partnerships with women and women’s rights organizations in the future.