The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 38, No. 2 & Volume 39, No. 1 - 208

David A. Scott • Wade G. Livingston • Pamela A. Havice • Tony W. Cawthon

In order to help men grow as campus community members, residence life professionals must help them address issues of masculinity, superiority, and oppression . Addressing these issues is vital to confronting other issues, such as entitlement, substance abuse, and violence, among others .

a man with type 5 (Optimal) attitudes is ready to make a change in how he interacts with women and dissimilar men. Housing professionals can plug this man into groups in the residence halls and on campus to help facilitate the discussion on understanding and embracing diversity. a man of this type will have special access to other similar men and can help be the voice of reason, encouraging men to change their oppressive attitudes towards others and continue the exploration of what it means to be a man in today’s society.

PROMISING PRACTICES
Having a working knowledge of men’s struggles is of great benefit when housing professionals need to deal with issues that arise in residence halls. By understanding that many men come to campus with preconceived notions about women and dissimilar men, housing professionals will have a baseline for understanding how these men have interacted with others before attending college.

need to collaborate with campus mental health counselors and may want to organize psychoeducational groups in the residence halls. this team effort increases the chances that this man will have the opportunity to espouse his thoughts about power and privilege and work towards reducing his oppressive attitudes towards others. a man struggling with issues related to type 4 can be experiencing a very difficult time in his life. a man’s gender identity has been shaped by years of stereotypical behaviors and maladaptive conditioning that is difficult to change. this man is faced with pressure by other men in his reference group to abandon this new way of thinking, and he may be ostracized to the extent that he will choose, for the sake of comfort, to return to his original group. Housing professionals need to offer a supportive atmosphere for a man in this crisis so that he can explore his misconceptions about manhood and move forward with a more diverse worldview that does not oppress others.

Collaboration
collaboration between housing professionals and campus mental health professionals is a vital component in working to reduce men’s maladaptive behaviors in college and university settings. Housing professionals are on the frontline and will be able to detect any problems long before they come to the attention of a campus counselor. collaboration could involve bringing psychoeducational groups directly into the residence halls, which might counteract men’s reluctance to actively seek counseling. the campus mental health professional can also assist by providing paraprofessional training to the housing professionals in techniques that can foster safe environments for male students

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The Journal of College and universiTy sTudenT housing

The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 38, No. 2 & Volume 39, No. 1

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 38, No. 2 & Volume 39, No. 1