WHAT EXACTLY IS THE MAN CODE?
What do I mean by the Man "Code"? Well we all live by certain codes of behavior or codes of conduct. These are like a set of rules that help us understand what is expected of us and what we can expect from others. These codes are not written down any where but they are taught to us in various ways. Some codes of conduct are very clearly laid out while others have to be figured out.
For example, a clearly laid out code of conduct would be say teaching a child manners. We explain very clearly to a child what manners mean and exactly when to use them. We might be in a store or restaurant with our child and we explain to the child in front of the clerk that this is the time to use their manners. The shop clerk knows what you are doing so they wait for you to finish.
An example of a code of conduct that is not so clear might be one where we don't spell out exactly what is expected. For instance, we all know not to talk about certain taboo topics in public. We might ask a stranger for the time but we wouldn't ask them about their sex life. No one told us this explicitly but we figured it out.
Much of The Man Code is like this last example. Boys and men are expected to live by a certain code of conduct that is not so clearly spelled out. Instead they have to figure out what is expected of them.
Our goal in this ecourse is to see if we can identify some of these more subtle codes of behavior and then learn how that influences how boys and men live. When we do this it will help us understand them better. So that when they behave in certain ways instead of jumping to a conclusion about why they acted like they did we can ask ourselves, or them, does this have something to do with The Man Code? When we realize that it in fact is related to The Man Code then we can step back and get some perspective on what their behavior really means.
The other great part of this is that we can start to see them as experts on man behavior. We can ask them to explain the man world to us. This serves three purposes.
First, we learn about the world of boys and men at a level that we didn't know before.
Second, they feel like they are respected for knowledge that only they possess.
Third, it builds communication between us and them. When we take the time to listen to them explain their world we both learn something we didn't know before. We learn about how they live, and they hear their explanations which make them more aware of how they live. Because these codes of behavior are often so subtle even men don't really realize how they are being affected by them. So by telling us they get a chance to think about themselves in a way that man culture doesn't generally allow for. Everyone benefits.
A PHOTOJOURNALISM E COURSE
What is photojournalism? It is the use of images to tell a story. In photojournalism there is a written piece but it is secondary to the photographs. These pictures aren't about beauty as much as they are about showing us some event or situation that is happening visually so that we can draw our own conclusion. Of course images can be doctored or manipulated so that we don't get a real or truthful representation of a situation but that is not our intent here.
The purpose of this ecourse is to gather images that reveal the story of how boys and men really live. In other words, through photography and written enquiry we will explore the subtle codes of conduct that they are taught to live by. We are going to use photographs to try to identify these codes of behavior and through these images learn how to understand the man world from a different perspective.
We are going to do this through our photo challenges which will help us look for images that we would normally over look or misinterpret. We will learn how to read these images for signs of The Man Code.
You don't have to be a photographer or writer to take this course. You don't have to have any knowledge of The Man Code either. Nor do you need to have a male partner. All you have to have is some curiosity about the man world and a willingness to show up for 4 weeks.
Hope You Can Join Us for The Man Code a Photojournalism Journey which begins in the Fall, 2011!
To Register you can contact me by email at kpantony@cogeco.ca or you can go to the Pay Now button on the side bar.
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