By Andrew Pillow

A UK department invited male and female students to explore the roles masculinity play in violence against women.

Thursday, two events kicked off the start of the new Gender and Women’s Studies department.  The event included a movie and dialogue from students, professors and author Michael Kimmel at the Violence, Intervention and Prevention Center.

The documentary “Macho,” which was shown in Worsham Theatre chronicled the struggle of a Nicaraguan men’s group that advocated getting rid of the social ideas of masculinity that cause men to abuse women.

After showing the four panelists, who included Kimmel, future GWS professor Roger Pearson, and students Jermey Taylor and Marty Dunning discussed the movie and issues of violence.

Kimmel, the author of the book “Guyland,” believes social ideas of masculinity are at the root of the cause for violence against women.

“We can not look at men’s violence against women as perpetrated by a group of non-conformists,” Kimmel said.  “They are over conformists to these norms as masculinity.”

Patricia Cooper of the Gender and Women’s Studies department agreed.

“The way men have learned to be men is harmful to men, as well as women,” Cooper said.

Ryan Wagoner, campus outreach coordinator for the VIP Center, said when men talk about preventing violence against women, it becomes positive peer pressure.

“It’s hard for us to talk about it (masculinity),” Wagoner said.

Sally Evans, the Education Program Coordinator, said it is important to have men speak on the roles of masculinity.

“Men have an absolute critical role to play against power-based personal violence,” Evans said.

More than 30 students attended the dialogue.

“It was really great to see all the support,” Evans said.

Josh Deitel, an Integrated Strategic Communications junior, came to the event to listen in on the importance of equality.

“No matter what your gender is or race, everyone deserves to be treated fairly,” Deitel said.  “Discrimination is not a genetic predisposition, it’s a social construct.”

The dialogue in the VIP Center was geared toward violence against women on campus. Natalie Smith, a Integrated Strategic Communications senior thought it was applicable to daily life.

“It definitely makes you think about every day issues,” Smith said.