Contact: Allison Matthews
STARKVILLE, Miss.--A recognized authority and author on gender violence who blogs for the Huffington Post website speaks Thursday [Nov. 3] at Mississippi State.
"The Macho Paradox: Why Some Men Hurt Women and How All Men Can Help" will be the topic of a presentation by Jackson Katz. Free to all, the 7 p.m. program will be held in McCool Hall's Taylor Auditorium.
Katz, whose campus visit comes on the heels of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, will examine how elements of the culture of masculinity can lead to violence in all forms. He also will discuss how men may actively work to combat violence.
A popular speaker on college campuses worldwide, he has created a training program that is used by the National Football League, U.S. Marine Corps and several NCAA athletic programs, including MSU. "Mentors in Violence Prevention" (MVP) is the program's title. (For more biographical information, click www.jacksonkatz.com.)
Lauren Vasquez, an MSU sociology doctoral student focusing on criminology, helped arrange Katz's visit to campus as part of her recent fellowship sponsored by the Verizon Foundation. Her research focused on violence against women among college students.
"Dr. Katz specifically focuses on the underlying causes of relationship violence," Vasquez said. "Rather than teaching women how to protect themselves from being victims, he focuses on the root causes of violence."
"We feel his message can make a tangible impact on our MSU students and the community at large," she continued. "Teaching us how to understand gender and the behaviors we feel necessary can really lead to the formation and maintenance of healthy relationships for our students."
The program is sponsored by MSU's sociology department and its gender studies program, Office of the Graduate School, Holmes Cultural Diversity Center, Social Science Research Center, Committee on Diversity and Social Justice, and Longest Student Health Center's relationship violence and outreach department.