Ruth Kershner has always been intrigued by what makes guys tick.
She teaches women’s health at West Virginia University, but was surprised to learn there were no classes offered about men.
This semester, that all changed when she started a course at WVU that peels away the layers of the male persona: how men think, what they feel and why they behave in certain ways. During one class, actors from a Morgantown theater group, M. T. Pockets, performed a series of monologues developed by a psychologist about men, masculinity and communication.
Have you ever noticed two guys going to the movies together? If they sit too close, they’d touch forearms and that would be a tragedy. Somewhere along the line, they learned that closeness and sexuality are the same. That’s why they invented sports.”
The class erupts in laughter, then turns serious.
Another actor says,When we hear a man gets hurt, we don’t want to know how he feels.”
My dad was only 50 when he died of heart disease. Holding things inside was a part of what killed him.”
After the skits, Kershner concedes,We have done a disservice to our young men about communicating. This reinforces what the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) says that repressed emotionality does result in depression.”
Activities like this one will open students’eyes, she claims.
If student participation is any indication, then the class is working. This is the first semester the class has been offered and 40 students, mostly men, are enrolled.
Later, Kershner hands out cards with things likesignificant other,”having a family,”athleticism,”challenging job,”independenceandstrong values and beliefswritten on them.
I want you to put these life choices in order,”she says.
At first, students are hesitant to speak out, but soon they’re debating the significance of having a sports car and the value of being athletic.
One frustrated student complains,We could sit here for three hours.”
That’s right,”Kershner says.It’s different for everybody. They’re going to change at different points in your life.”
The lively exchange of ideas excites Kershner, a professor and registered nurse who teaches a slew of undergraduate and graduate courses in health at the University. She came up with the idea for the class during brainstorming sessions with a WVU health and wellness curriculum committee and created her own course requirements, including more than 30 readings and exams.
Kershner says class discussions run the gamut from nutrition and reproductive health to behavior and relationships. Students are asked to readThe American Medical Association Complete Guide to Men’s Healthand write a reflection paper, which examines their own health behaviors and beliefs.
This class gives you something to think about,”says Don Alexander, a third-year pharmacy student.It raises a lot of social issues, as well as health issues, like the politics on gay marriage. She lets people speak about how they feel about a lot of issues.”
Kershner’s men’s health class is the first of its kind at WVU and is part of a growing national trend toward men’s studies.
However,Most of the men’s studies courses that show up are still hidden under names like gender studies,”says Dave Robinson, who works with the American Men’s Studies Association.Many are offshoots of women’s studies programs.”
Men’s health is one of many courses at WVU focused on wellness and nutrition issues. The University’s wellness task force is dedicated to providing opportunities for students and employees to create and maintain a healthy and active lifestyle.