Male Allyship, Caring Masculinities, and Institutional Change at Universities

From Good Intentions to Effective Practice: Male Allyship, Caring Masculinities, and Institutional Change at Universities

How can men in the university context become agents of change?

This presentation builds on current debates surrounding male allyship and demonstrates why good intentions alone are insufficient to advance gender equality at universities. Drawing on international studies and research on caring masculinities, it argues that equality will only be achieved if care is recognized not as a private matter but as a structural and organizational issue.

The focus is on men as potential allies—and at the same time on the institutional conditions that determine whether allyship can be credible, effective, and sustainable.

Based on international studies and research on caring masculinities, it argues that equality will only be effective if care is recognized as a structural and organizational issue, not just a private matter. The focus is on men as potential allies—and on the institutional conditions that determine whether allyship can be credible, effective, and sustainable. The lecture discusses why male allyship often fails at universities due to concepts of academic masculinity, invisible performance norms, and a lack of institutional backing. It will also discuss how men can become agents of change—not only through individual efforts but as part of a comprehensive cultural shift in research, teaching, and organizational practices.

Speaker: Eli Scambor, Sociologist and Director of the Institute for Men’s and Gender Studies, DMÖ

Time and place: 19.05.2026, 1 pm to 2:30 pm, online via Zoom, please register for this event.