Men, We Need A Framework

Title Edit: 'Toolbox' or 'FAQ' may be a better title than 'Framework'

Now that there is a wiki, all changes will be made there rather than here For the most up to date, refined version see the link Activism Toolbox Wiki Link: http://www.reddit.com/r/MensRights/wiki/framework

Feminism has a large body of work in ethics and philosophy that can be used to justify their positions or to dismiss offhand anyone who isn't already a feminist ("You just don't understand privilege/patriarchy/rape culture/etc!"). I think we need a similar framework of ideas that we can fall back on to justify our movement and ideals. Simple, simple stuff - I'm not saying we need to be able to teach Men's Studies courses, just enough to give us a rational anchor in the storms of misandry.

I will make a very humble attempt at outlining my idea, but if people are interested, we could make this a work in progress on the wiki or something. Keep in mind, I am writing these with an eye towards good PR, so I may unintentionally gloss over some people's POV. I am deliberately trying to challenge feminists by using their own ideals to fuel our movement, so some of the language may sound a bit gender studies.

Our Goals:

• Equal Protection for all under the law. [The Draft, child custody, divorce, conviction rates & prison sentences]

• Equal Opportunity for all in the workplace. [Paternity leave, hazardous work protections, ending discriminatory affirmative action]

• Equal Treatment for all in society. [Allowing positive expression of masculinity, trusting men around children, giving men emotional and social support networks, men's-issue focused medicine, charities, and programs]

• Cooperation Within Movements. [If a woman is truly for gender equality, we are allies, even if she also calls herself a feminist]

• Clear Endgame. [If we achieve equality, mission accomplished. We aren't in this to take rights from women]

Some Sample Tools & Concepts:

• Black Box Gender Roles: The origins of modern, rigid gender roles for men or women, while up for debate, are irrelevant to the destruction of those roles. We know the modern realities, so we can change the modern realities. [nips patriarchy talk in the bud]

• Don't Build Ladders, Break Down Walls: Ladders represent a one-sided advantage given to one side of the wall; having no wall is truly equal treatment. [Ladder = raising up women, Breaking down wall = equality]

• Blind Justice: The justice or injustice of a situation does not depend on the identities of those involved. [Rape is Rape.]

• Mirror Test: Look at a situation, flip the genders of participants, and look at it again. Can indicate gender bias and a lack of blind justice. [Woman hits Man vs. Man hits Woman]

• No Corruption of Blood No Original Sin: We seek true equality for us in the present, not retribution or reparation for our ancestors. ['50s era misogyny does not justify '00s misandry]

• Equality of Opportunity, Not Outcome: Equality of outcome must stem from ensuring equality of opportunity, not by artificial corrections that mask existing inequalities. [No affirmative action]

• Bottom-Up Equality: If we ensure equal treatment for individuals in all parts of society, social groups as a whole will be equally treated.

• Privilege is Particular: People are born into wildly different life situations and thus have specific individual advantages. Lumping widely disparate experiences into a group's 'privilege quota' does not respect the particular experience of individuals. No class-based theories allowed here, just good old individuality.

• Faulty Inference: Attempting to make conclusions about an individual using information about a group. [Women tend to be paid less, so this woman should be paid more]

Synthesis:

Privilege is Particular combined with Faulty Inference keep group privilege out of discussions of how to handle individuals. Bottom-up Equality couples with this to ban it from discussions about collectives as well, and Equality of Opportunity prevents Band-Aid (and often anti-men) solutions to inequality like affirmative action. Together, this forces us to have a discussion about how to treat individuals in order to achieve an end goal of an equal society, no shortcuts or lazy thinking. Talking about how we should treat people like they were actually unique people? What a novel idea!

Anything that passes the Mirror Test is an example of Blind Justice. These can work for any type of suspected discrimination, so our brothers who are gay or transitioned can use it for sexual orientation rights advocacy too. Black Box and Blood keep discussions present-day focused and keep women from guilt-tripping men into thinking the 'patriarchy' is our fault.

Finally, Break Walls lets us offer an alternative to mainstream feminism's woman-focused approach of fixing problems. Instead of addressing confining gender roles for women by encouraging women to take a wider range of jobs and letting opportunities for men stagnate, we should work to make everyone more able to take any job they wish.

WTFL;DR: If we have some kind of set goals and philosophy, it will be harder for journalists and feminists to paint us solely as crazed anti-feminists, and easier for us to advocate for our goals coherently.

Edit #1: Incorporated feedback from comments - keep 'em coming

Edit #2: We have a wiki page! I think you have to talk to a moderator to get edit permission, which I encourage you to do.