Some considerations to establish a dialogue about the patriarchy inspired on the study and work with men and masculinity

Abstract

This article organizes some questions in order to encourage processes of collective reflection on what is interpreted as patriarchy, from a theoretical, political and instrumental point of view. It uses a conceptual and linguistic approach, therefore it starts by establishing some ethical, political and methodological assumptions, in order to identify aspects of consideration and intervention in the work and study of the male population. Then it discusses the social representations of men characterized in the different approaches to this population, from the academy and from activism, and presents a series of reflections about what it means to study men as gender subjects. Language is reclaimed as an analytical tool to name, see and construct alterity, with some examples about the ways networks and organizations working with men identify themselves with terms which help trace the theoretical and political assumptions of their interpretation about their subjects of interest. In conclusion, some elements are presented regarding the state of un-knowing about patriarchy and about its subjects of reference subjects, namely, men.