Public Seminar Series: Can Men Learn Feminism?
Part 1
Who are these seminars for?
This January/February series is for women and nonbinary people who need support for navigating why feminist learning is so hard for men.
It is hard for most men to look in the mirror and self-reflect on their own experiences within patriarchy, a violent system that is entwined within every system of oppression (like white supremacy, imperialism, and capitalism). The grief layers of this work are deep and complex. In 2021, Feminism School is excited to release more tools to support Feminism for Men.
This Seminar Series: Can Men Learn Feminism?, is not for men though!
Rather, this learning experience is for women and nonbinary folks in some kind of relationship with men—personally and professionally.
The teachings and contemplative practices offer analysis and insight for a moment of history that is beckoning real change and healing— but also requiring us all to un-learn patriarchal scripts.
What is the Public Seminar Series at Feminism School?
Most of the curriculum at Feminism School is only available within Feminist Leadership Trainings (within organizations), 1:1 mentorships, and select cohorts. The Public Seminar Series is different. These seminars launch in 2021 and are opportunities for the general public to take part in feminist education in a low-cost, low-time investment model of learning.
Seminar Series Details
Can Men Learn Feminism?
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This public seminar series is only for women and nonbinary people. (Women is a term for both women of cis and trans experience.)
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Seminar sessions are 60 minutes and held over Zoom on: Sunday January 24th and 31st at 9:00 a.m. PST and Sunday February 14th at 9:00 a.m. PST.
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Recordings of the live seminars will be made available if you prefer to learn in a non-live format.
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Seminars include live teaching, guided contemplative exercises, and a short period for Q&A and sharing from the contemplative exercises.
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3 days before each live session, an audio lecture (15-20 minutes) will be made available that includes a prompt for feminist contemplative practice.
Sunday January 24th (9:00 a.m. PST)
60-minute live seminar: Navigating Male Defense Mechanisms
Men taking responsibility for their defense mechanisms is critical for men to learn feminism (and for women and nonbinary people to not become exhausted!). In this seminar, you will learn examples of what this looks like in practice within relationships and communities.
It is hard for many men to learn feminism because 1) they are disconnected from their bodies and emotional life and 2) they do not regulate their nervous systems when receiving feedback about their behaviors within patriarchy and 3) they use defense mechanisms to avoid truly listening to women and nonbinary people speak the truth about their lives.
In this seminar, we teach on these defenses—like lashing out in anger, withdrawal in order to punish, stonewalling, gaslighting, claiming they are the "good" man, and minimizing the knowledge of women and nonbinary people.
We teach how male defense mechanisms keep men from perceiving and feeling the impact of patriarchal power and control on women and nonbinary people around them. But these defenses also keep men from feeling and grieving how patriarchy—and all systems of oppression—are also harming men.
Using a trauma-informed approach, you will learn why you cannot "teach" through a male defense mechanism, but you can create expectations and boundaries for a man to do his own work of 1) connecting to his body and 2) exploring the fears that drive his defenses around vulnerability.
It is hard for many men to learn feminism because 1) they are disconnected from their bodies and emotional life and 2) they do not regulate their nervous systems when receiving feedback about their behaviors within patriarchy and 3) they use defense mechanisms to avoid truly listening to women and nonbinary people speak the truth about their lives.
In this seminar, we teach on these defenses—like lashing out in anger, withdrawal in order to punish, stonewalling, gaslighting, claiming they are the "good" man, and minimizing the knowledge of women and nonbinary people.
We teach how male defense mechanisms keep men from perceiving and feeling the impact of patriarchal power and control on women and nonbinary people around them. But these defenses also keep men from feeling and grieving how patriarchy—and all systems of oppression—are also harming men.
Using a trauma-informed approach, you will learn why you cannot "teach" through a male defense mechanism, but you can create expectations and boundaries for a man to do his own work of 1) connecting to his body and 2) exploring the fears that drive his defenses around vulnerability.
Sunday January 31st (9:00 a.m PST)
60-minute live seminar: Interrupting Male Feminist Privilege
A major obstacle to men doing the depth work that feminism requires is that feminist men are trying to interrogate male privilege while simultaneously receiving undo rewards from women for naming themselves feminists. This pattern that plays out harms everyone of all genders, including men’s own spiritual growth. At Feminism School, we call this problem male feminist privilege.
In the worst form, male feminism becomes a brand that allows men to gain trust and perpetrate harm on more people.
Other men claiming feminist consciousness are not trying to manipulate or harm —but these men still get access to power and privilege for being male feminists, and they can still abuse that power and privilege.
In this seminar, you will learn much needed analysis for how male feminism should interrupt male privilege, not shore it up. This principle is vital if men are going to learn feminist practice, and it requires all of us to interrupt the unconscious scripts of male privilege in our relationships and communities.
In the worst form, male feminism becomes a brand that allows men to gain trust and perpetrate harm on more people.
Other men claiming feminist consciousness are not trying to manipulate or harm —but these men still get access to power and privilege for being male feminists, and they can still abuse that power and privilege.
In this seminar, you will learn much needed analysis for how male feminism should interrupt male privilege, not shore it up. This principle is vital if men are going to learn feminist practice, and it requires all of us to interrupt the unconscious scripts of male privilege in our relationships and communities.
Sunday February 14th (9:00 a.m. PST)
60-minute live seminar: Valentine's Cards for Patriarchy
If all the truths we swallowed and didn't speak from living inside patriarchy were made into Valentine's Day Card, what would they say? In our final seminar, we take responsibility for un-learning our part in the scripts of patriarchy by finding our words (and images) that need more honest expression.
Creativity is important in Feminism School, and this last seminar encourages play, even as we name hard realities of the work of healing and transformation.
Creativity is important in Feminism School, and this last seminar encourages play, even as we name hard realities of the work of healing and transformation.
Registration Capacity
Please note that we do, at times, limit capacity to facilitate the best learning spaces possible for the Public Seminar Series content. When we have a surplus of registration, and if we find we do need to restrict registration, the spaces will be reserved for those whom we deem would most benefit from access to our feminist education outside the university.
FAQ
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If this seminar series is only for women and nonbinary people, how will men learn?
Feminism School is rolling out materials for men in 2021. Stay tuned!
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Are there scholarships or discounts?
Good question! The registration is tiered so that the early bird specials are the discounts built into the pricing, allowing more people to access the course. While Feminism School does regularly offer scholarship spots and pro bono work, this 3-week seminar does not have scholarships.
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Are there study materials?
For those who have taken classes at Feminism School before, you know that our courses are graduate level and rigorous. This course, however, is a bit different. It is rigorous emotionally—yes. But it does not require study time, other than listening to a 15-20 minute podcast prior to the seminar.
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I am not sure I am able to attend every live session. Can I still register?
Yes, absolutely. The recordings will be made available to you after each live seminar. While we encourage participation, we also very much understand not being able to attend every seminar.
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I would like to take the full courses at Feminism School. How do I do that?
Currently, our courses are (mostly) not available for purchase from the general public for self-study, but are rather offered within 1:1 Mentorships and Feminist Leadership Trainings. Very limited course cohorts for the general public occasionally are offered, too—we announce those through our newsletter. You can contact us below to inquire on these 1:1 Mentorships and Feminist Leadership Trainings, and be on the newsletter to hear of cohorts occasionally open to the general public.
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