The Centre for Gender and Development Studies, at St. Augustine, and the Saint John’s University and College of Saint Benedict of Minnesota, USA, jointly convened a workshop entitled “Approaching Men’s Studies in a Gender Studies Context: Cross Cultural Initiatives”.

This builds on a previous workshop hosted on the St Augustine campus in January 2006 and a UWI site visit to Minnesota in July, from 4th to 6th January, 2007. The workshop brought together over 40 participants including students from SJU/CSB, colleagues from Hobart and William Smith College and Morehouse College in the USA and from the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill campus. Professor Patricia Mohammed of CGDS, St. Augustine and Dr. Gar Kellom, Director and Vice President of Student Affairs at St John’s University who lead the St. John’s delegation, said that the workshop aimed to bring together students and academics in a cross cultural discussion to give new directions and impetus for the growth and development of men’s studies. They thought that the sharing of different histories of curricula development in women’s studies and men’s studies along with research and new approaches which could serve to strengthen ideas for the expansion of men’s studies as part of the gender studies curricula offering, along with women’s studies, in all partner institutions.

Participants benefited tremendously from broad introductions to a history of gender and masculinity in Trinidad and Tobago by Professor Bridget Brereton and masculinity and culture by Professor Gordon Rohlehr. Presentations included “Research on College Men” by Dr. Gar Kellom and Dr. Chip Capraro, Associate Dean of Students of Hobart and William Smith College, in which students and tutors from the partner universities including Alvin Thomas of Morehouse College, USA, Arden Mc Clean and Michael Grandison of St. Augustine were also encouraged to be present and discuss their research.

A panel on “New directions in researching masculinity in Tertiary Education” was explored by Dr. Philip Nanton, UWI, of Cave Hill campus, Ms Gabrielle Hosein, Assistant Lecturer, CGDS St. Augustine and Mr. John Hunte, Ph.D Cultural Studies, Cave Hill, the latter shedding light on his dissertation on the male dancer as “the Lone ranger” in masculinity. Professor Martha Tomhave of College of St. Benedict gave a short preview of her soon to be published book on Gender and Emotion. A panel chaired by Professor Eudine Barriteau, Head of the CGDS on the Cave Hill campus on “Obligations and taboos of masculinity” included Professors David Plummer, Rhoda Reddock and Biko Agozino, of Faculties of Education, Gender studies and Sociology respectively. Rev. Dr. Eddy Birmingham, Dean of Studies of the Regional Seminary at Mt. St. Benedict chaired the panel “Integrating Men’s Studies into Curricula” which included Mr. Tyrone Ali, UWI, Professor Ozzie Mayers, College of St. Benedict, Professor Eugen Baer, Dean of Students at Hobart and William Smith and Professor Patricia Mohammed, CGDS, St. Augustine.

Animated and intense discussions between partners allowed for the shaping of future programme directions. At a meeting on the second day hosted by the Principal, Dr. Bhoendradatt Tewarie, it was agreed that study abroad programmes on student leadership for UWI students to Minnesota would form one component of the collaboration between SJU/CSB and the UWI.

On the final day, the workshop moved to bpTT beach facilities at Mayaro where a change of space and pace allowed for inspired and creative ideas for the way forward. Colleagues agreed to work towards the joint hosting of a cross cultural international conference on masculinity in early 2009 to be held at UWI, St. Augustine, several of the themes for the conference emerging from the workshop deliberations. Faculty and student exchanges, study abroad programmes for students on leadership as well as fund raising to ensure widest participation at the conference would form the basis for ongoing partnership activity in the intervening period. In the words of Dean Eugen Baer and Dr. Chip Caprero from Hobart and William Smith, their first visit to the campus and to Trinidad far exceeded their expectations and fired them up to become one of the triangle partners in joint conference planning and faculty exchange initiatives.