Princeton’s new ‘men’s engagement manager’ to combat aggressive masculinity on campus

Are young men at Princeton University violent, aggressive, hyper-masculine, stalkers, or rapists?

A new position at the Ivy League institution indicates campus officials apparently think enough of its male students grapple with such problems that it warrants hiring a certified clinician dedicated to combating them.

The university is in the process of hiring an “Interpersonal Violence Clinician and Men’s Engagement Manager” who will work with a campus office called SHARE that’s dedicated to “survivors” of sexual harassment, assault, dating violence and stalking.

According to SHARE, one in four female undergrads experienced such misconduct during the 2015-16 school year.

The men’s manager will also launch initiatives to challenge “gender stereotypes,” and expand the school’s Men’s Allied Voices for a Respectful and Inclusive Community, a self-described “violence prevention program” at Princeton that often bemoans “toxic masculinity” on its Facebook page.

According to the job description, the men’s manager will develop educational programs targeting the apparent “high-risk campus-based populations for primary prevention of interpersonal violence, including sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic/dating violence, and stalking.”

The job posting implicitly refers to men as perpetrators and women as victims.

The position may also implement a mandatory “accountability program for students accused of sexual misconduct under Title IX,” it adds.

Princeton University’s communications office defended the position in an emailed statement last week to The College Fix. The school confirmed it is still working to select a person to fill the position, first advertised in late May.

“Princeton’s program is similar to programs at other colleges and universities and is consistent with established best practices that encourage both men and women to create and foster a culture in which there is no place for interpersonal violence and where safe and healthy interpersonal relationships are the norm,” the statement read.

Founded in 2013, Men’s Allied Voices for a Respectful and Inclusive Community program seeks to “promote healthy masculinity” through workshops and other educational programming on campus. The program also fights “toxic masculinity,” according to numerous Facebook posts, and subscribes to the feminist theory of “fragile masculinity,” which denigrates men for subscribing to traditional gender norms.

The successful candidate will also recruit and train students to “serve as role models for men-identified students related to the development of healthy relationships and healthy masculinity,” the job description states.

The successful candidate must have a masters or doctorate in a field related to social work or women’s studies, it adds.

The College Fix was unable to identify a corresponding clinician targeted toward women.

“The position you reference seeks to strengthen Princeton’s efforts to prevent violence among all campus populations, with a focus on how we can best engage men as agents of positive change,” Princeton’s communications office stated.

“The person hired for this position will support an existing initiative – Men’s Allied Voices for a Respectful and Inclusive Community – and will provide mentoring and guidance to help men serve as effective advocates for the prevention of violence and connect those affected by violence with the services and supports they need. We have seen increased demand by men on our campus to play a more active role in preventing interpersonal violence, and we are pleased to support this growing interest.”

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