Work

Work is a central issue for all people. Traditional images and models of masculinity focus on gainful employment for men and neglect the areas of everyday domestic, care, and support activities. Standards are set for men in which gainful employment is supposed to play the most important role. Men who meet these standards benefit from better career opportunities, greater confidence in their abilities, job offers with better pay, etc. Accordingly, unpaid and voluntary work by men is more common in areas that have a positive influence on professional networks or promise a gain in status. About the “glass ceiling” that refers to the limited career opportunities for women, one could speak here of a “glass escalator” on which those men who meet the expectations of management masculinity find it easier to reach higher positions. However, this also results in the danger of one-sided life plans in which there is little room for paternal, friendly, or family aspects. Their personal lives also suffer. The so-called “work-life” balance is thrown off kilter.

When men make their careers the center of their lives and base their self-esteem and identity on them, they are all the more directly affected by stress in the workplace. Many men also say that time pressure, uncooperative colleagues, and conflicts with managers are extremely stressful. Since traditional images of men imply that they should always have “everything under control” at work, such stresses are glossed over in the short term. In the long term, however, both physical and mental health can be severely affected. Risky alcohol consumption as a supposed “stress reliever” or even burnout can be the consequence.

In addition, life plans that see men as “breadwinners” are particularly affected by change in the face of profound transformations in the world of work. When sociologists write about the “end of the working society,” this means in concrete terms that there are fewer and fewer jobs available for large sections of the population, that working models are becoming more insecure and career paths more fragile, etc. For men, these developments pose a greater risk of periods of unemployment and the associated financial constraints, including the loss of housing or social relationships. Many men then slide into massive personal and social crises.consequence

It is important to recognize and take into account the different ways in which men are affected. An older industrial worker who fears for his job may be confronted with a younger management consultant whose job is to make companies “fit for competition” by cutting costs. From a critical perspective, the question always arises as to what extent hegemonic male strategies are used in attempts to solve problematic life situations. These strategies are designed to bring individuals to the top in competition with others, but they also exacerbate their own living conditions by confirming and reinforcing the very social forces that create pressure. Exploitation by others and self-exploitation are usually two sides of the same coin.

What does the DMÖ stand for?

In the interests of gender equality, there needs to be more equal opportunities in the labor market to give women access and equal opportunities to well-paid jobs, good career prospects, etc. This also benefits men in many ways: it enables them to find a way out of the breadwinner trap, achieve a better work-life balance, be role models for their children, provide greater economic stability for their families, etc.

In order to reconcile work and family life/fatherhood, there need to be well-regulated legal options for paternity leave, part-time work, including at management level, etc., to give as many men as possible the chance to improve their work-life balance. However, it is also important to raise awareness in companies that parental leave, among many other factors that are also beneficial to business, is a social qualification for men.

Initiatives to reduce working hours, especially for men and especially in industries where unlimited full-time, overtime, and extra work cultures make work-life balance difficult, are important steps toward gender equality. The experiences of Change Actors and time pioneers who actively participate in childcare, for example, should be taken into account.

In addition, recognition of the diverse positions of men on work-related issues must be strengthened; in particular, socially disadvantaged men must also be given a voice. There is a need to promote life chances and prospects for men who might otherwise be marginalized, as well as special interventions for socially disadvantaged men (e.g., long-term unemployed young men with low educational qualifications; men in low-wage sectors and precarious employment). The DMÖ advocates specific programs that support men in the deregulated labor market and/or precarious employment in their professional and social integration.