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For Men’s Needs, a Resource Center is Unnecessary

Published: Saturday, March 19, 2011

Updated: Sunday, March 20, 2011 21:03

A recent letter to the editor proposed the establishment of a "Men's Resource Center" to complement the Women's Resource Center at Boston College. We, the undergraduate student staff in the Women's Resource Center (WRC), would like to respond with our thoughts regarding reasons why a Men's Resource Center would not be a necessary establishment at Boston College.

 
Both men and women, as individuals at Boston College, have a wide array of needs and concerns, some of which are not fully met by the University. We each deal with a unique set of challenges based on gender, race, and sexual orientation, among other factors. However, as a gender, women have historically faced prejudices, practices, and policies that specifically aim to strip their power, often by limiting access to education and career opportunities. These struggles are no less relevant to our own campus. Think about the gender of senior faculty members. Now think about the gender of most members of the top administration. Who do we look up to as our leaders, and who has the ability to make important decisions at BC? In other words, gender inequality still exists.
 
We encourage and are deeply committed to men's growth and development, and work closely with Brotherhood for Change (BFC), a student-run organization started with the help of a male staff member at the WRC. Counseling opportunities are also available specifically for men through The Men's Group, held by University Counseling Services. We are more than open to engaging in dialogue about how to better support men at the WRC, and hope that both men and women will come by the WRC to continue this conversation. Y
Yet, despite that men face distinct issues at BC, to create a Men's Resource Center undermines the historical and institutional disempowerment that women have faced and continue to face at BC and across the globe.
 
The staff of the WRC consists of just seven undergraduate students, one graduate assistant, and one full time director. As a feminist collaborative center we work tirelessly and passionately to impact as many students as possible at Boston College on a limited budget. We hope that our intentions of inclusion are clear and that the WRC remains a welcoming space to all on campus.
 
Undergraduate staff of
The Women's Resource Center

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1 comments

Anonymous
Tue Apr 5 2011 09:39
Oh please. Wake up. It's 2011. I'm a woman and I've never felt oppressed at any point in my life. I'm pretty sure we are at a point where the gender inequality has tipped in the opposite direction. We are overcompensating and the men are suffering because of it. If you want an example just take a look at one of the small sports at BC and tell me how many men's vs women's scholarships there are. It's almost like you are asking to be oppressed by encouraging us to fret about factors we never noticed before. Maybe there are more men than women professors, but is the number difference really that significant? I don't know why most women come to the WRC, but I always assumed it was eating disorders or depression, not women upset about inequality. Men have body issues and depression too. Maybe there is enough staff at the Men's Group to cover all the men with issues. That's fine. Your response bringing up how we are oppressed more just sucks.






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