Recently I attended Warwick Report & Support’s presentation on lad culture, entitled “How not to be a ‘lad’ at Warwick”. As a topic this is hugely important, and the presentation successfully covered not only the fundamentals of how lad culture can make others feel safe, but also the damage lad culture can do to those that partake in it.
After focusing first on defining lad culture - emphasising the role it has in the enduring misogyny, homophobia, and racism in universities and society more generally - the presentation went on to talk about the way that lad culture isolates men, causing lasting emotional and psychological harm by propagating the myth that men should be emotionless and ’strong’. This is something I’ve touched on before in my Toxic Masculinity blog (Hot Boy Summer?) and it’s great to see staff at the university recognising the issue.
The presentation is only 15 minutes long and is well worth a watch - you can find it at https://web.microsoftstream.com/video/7cfd93fb-3879-4158-8c61-2c4893d0801c?channelId=a7012b19-14e9-4c07-926e-4b01971e1a52
——Caleb Avis, Men’s Officer
