Description:

Tennyson, in a nineteenth-century poem, expressed the firm belief in the difference between men and women.
Man for the field and woman for the heart:
Man for the sword and for the needle she:
Man with the head and woman with the heart:
Man to command and woman to obey.
During the twentieth century, this doctrine of separate spheres was steadily eroded so that by now, in the Western world, woman are expected to use their brains as well as their hearts and men are encouraged to assume some of the roles previously allotted exclusively to women. This dialogue between Esther Perel and Marilyn Yalom will explore the challenges that men and women now face in assuming traits and roles of the opposite gender. Are we edging towards a more androgynous definition of gender and a multiplicity of gender identities? What are the lingering gaps in gender inequality? Is there a “crisis of masculinity”?

Educational Objectives:

1. Describe three new challenges around men’s identity and sexuality.
2. Demonstrate two ways that men’s ability to question the male status quo holds the seeds for changing the condition for women.

*Sessions may be edited for content and to preserve confidentiality*