Undertrykkere og undertrykte - en undersøgelse af Mandebevægelsen 1975-1982

Abstract

This report examines The Men's Movement (Mandebevægelsen), a danish organization from 1975 that sought to change the male gender role. Almost completely unresearched, The Men's Movement is seen as related to the historiography on the leftist revolt of the 1960's and 1970's in Denmark, also known as “68”. So far, the research on “68” has made a sharp distinction between the cultural and political aspects of the revolt, emphasizing the cultural impact, though focus has been primarily on the political organizations. This report takes up recent calls to examine other aspects, including those in which activism cannot be seen as purely cultural or purely political. Using books, magazines and written accounts of the activists as sources to the movement, and focusing on the time between 1975 and the early 1980s, the report examines how The Men's Movement saw the connection between men's and women's liberation. It is shown that The Men's Movement was sympathetic towards the new women's movement, offering solidarity rather than opposition, as they saw the oppressive gender roles of both men and women as being caused by the capitalist system. However, over time a tendency developed in which the new women's movement was viewed more sceptically, and the need for maintaining some level of masculinity in a new male gender role was emphasized.