Ethics Across the Disciplines: Tom Keith

Abstract:

This talk will explore what Tom means by the expression ‘bro-culture’ and how patriarchy is the overarching social and political structure that guides bro culture. From there, he will discuss how bro culture harms women in many different ways. From the pay gap to actual violence against women, bro culture reinforces a gendered hierarchy where women are placed below men in positions of importance and authority. But bro culture also does great damage to men. From reinforcing emotional stoicism to pressuring men to conform to certain restrictive conceptions of masculinity, bro culture creates both internal and external pressures on men that ultimately cost men in terms of their own physical and emotional health as well as men’s abilities to craft healthy relationships with women and other men.

Biography:

Thomas Keith received his Ph.D. in philosophy from Claremont Graduate University. He is the author of the book Masculinities in Contemporary American Culture, with his new book The Bro Code: The Fallout of Raising Boys to Sexually Subordinate Women due out later this year from Routledge Press. As a filmmaker, Keith has produced three films for Media Education Foundation (Generation M: Misogyny in Media and Culture, The Bro Code: How Contemporary Culture Creates Sexist Men, and The Empathy Gap: Masculinity and the Courage to Change), and just wrapped his fourth film Bullied, which is scheduled to screen at film festivals around the world.