Hearing the other: Social change and individual growth in the women’s, men’s, and eco-spirituality movements

Abstract

The mythopoetic men’s movement has been criticized for its self-absorption and uninvolvement in social action. This article argues that social change begins with the kind of individual quest that allows one to operate from a place of peace and justice within oneself, and that the mythopoetic men’s movement offers some the encouragement to do this. The purpose of the mythopoetic movement is not to strengthen men’s identification with traditional masculinities but rather to encourage them to descend beneath the trappings of cultural engendering to find, as women are also committed to finding, their own voices.