I want to write this week’s information in the first person because I want to unequivocally own all the ideas and opinions expressed in the episode. As a response to the murder of a young Irish woman in Ireland last week, I discuss at considerable length the topic of male violence against women as an expression of broken masculinity, and I offer a defence of my experience of masculinity.
I also look at the discourse that has arisen in the aftermath of the murder, and how in my opinion, in spite of the justified outrage and intense emotionality of the reactions of both men and women, there has been insufficient nuance brought to bear on the discussion. I look at how male crisis can express itself either as self-directed violence or else as violence towards others. And I make a case for greater empathy for male suffering and argue for more collective responsibility in society from anyone who cares about the issue of both traumatised masculinity and the victimisation of women and all vulnerable members of society.
Disclaimer: I won’t have covered every single aspect of this, and the aspects I did look at won’t have been covered comprehensively. There will be oversights and blind spots, but I think I have avoided being tone deaf. I hope it is clear I spoke from a desire for an improved dialogue around masculinity and how to help women feel safer.
Thank you,
Dara
2019 article on why men are more violent than women from the New York Post: https://nypost.com/2019/01/16/the-scientific-reasons-why-men-are-more-violent-than-women/
2014 article on male aggression from Psychology Ireland: https://www.psychologytoday.com/ie/blog/homo-aggressivus/201409/male-aggression