Men in crisis or in critical need of support? insights from Russia and the UK

Abstract

The idea that men are 'in crisis' has become popular in many societies. Yet the provision of targeted, gender-aware services for men is relatively underdeveloped. Negative trends in male health and employment offer the clearest evidence of crisis among men in Russia and the UK. These are occurring in the context of socio-economic change and a backlash against women's 'emancipation', both of which have particular implications for men. The shoring up of rigid expectations of male and female roles and behaviour, combined with increased economic insecurity, has contributed to a view of men as 'failures'. In the Altai Region of Western Siberia, a system of social support for working-age men has been developed. Unique in Russia, the Altai Regional Crisis Centre for Men is part of a small but growing international phenomenon of support projects for men and may have potential as a model for similar developments in other parts of the world