Anti-Sexist Activist, Educator to Visit Lawrenceville Campus
The language used to describe gender violence often excludes men from the problem, rendering these acts women’s issues by default. Through books, videos and dynamic lectures, Jackson Katz, anti-sexist male activist, educator, has captivated many by sending the message that gender violence is a men’s concern. Men should not be viewed as offenders, but as individuals who can stop acts of gender violence, Katz argues.
Now Katz plans to make a stop at the Lawrenceville campus to share his message and raise the awareness of gender violence. Katz will give a lecture on Wednesday, December 3, at 7 p.m. in the BLC Theater.
The event is sponsored by the Jewish Family & Children’s Services (JFCS) of Greater Mercer County and a coalition of more than two dozen other community organizations, including Rider University’s Gender and Sexuality Studies Program. Organizers hope men, teenage boys, sports teams and college students will come out to hear from this former all-state football player to learn how they can help prevent violence against women.
“Men play a critical role in ending violence against women,” said Deborah Levenstein, program director at JFCS. “It’s a hard message to sell and get out to the male population.”
Katz, who was the first male student to earn a minor in Women’s Studies at the University of Massachusetts, is well known for his work in gender violence prevention education with men and boys, particularly in the sports and the military. He is co-founder of the Mentors in Violence Prevention program at Northeastern University’s Center for the Study of Sport in Society. This leading gender violence prevention program is used in professional and collegiate athletics. He also runs a gender violence prevention program for the United States Marine Corps. Katz is the author of the 2006 book The Macho Paradox: Why Some Men Hurt Women and How All Men Can Help.
Deborah Cordonnier, adjunct faculty instructor in the English Department at Rider, helped made Katz’s visit to the University possible. Cordonnier, who is teaching Special Topics: Gender & Sports (GND-310-C1) this semester, said she uses Katz’s work in her classes, including his film Tough Guise: Violence, Media, & the Crisis in Masculinity and The Macho Paradox. Cordonnier said it’s important for students to come out to the event.
“College students are the future leaders of the community, she said. “You really want them to have all the knowledge to be leaders in this area of violence prevention.”
The lecture is free and open to the public, including community sports teams. Books will be on sale at 6:30 p.m. and refreshments will be served. Attendees can enter to win a Wii video game system and school teams can win a raffle.
