John Rowan reports:
Between the years 1974-78 there flourished a group called Red Therapy. It focused on functioning as a leaderless therapy group for people involved in political struggles, and was also interested in developing a critique of the whole area of therapy, counselling, personal growth and the like. When the group finally came to an end, some of the women joined the Women's Therapy Centre, and some of the men started the magazine Achilles Heel. This still continues to this day, and in fact the 21st issue appeared in early 1997, with a major theme of Fear.
Achilles Heel is produced by a collective of men in London at present. It aims to challenge traditional forms of masculinity and male power, and supports the creation of alternative social structures and personal ways of being. Some of this is really very simple and human:
'It's been five years since I recorded. I wanted to give Sean five years of being there all the time. There's a price to pay for giving attention to children. If I can't deal with a child, I can't deal with anything. No matter what artistic gains I may get, or how many gold records, if I can't make a success out of the relationship with people I supposedly love, then anything else is bullshit', (John Lennon, TV interview).
This is not the whole story by any means, but it is an important part of it.
The upsurge of interest in issues around masculinity has been very noticeable in the last few years. However, very little of it is critical in any political way. The 'new man' seen by Achilles Heel right from the start as media hype, has given way to the 'new lad', without much change in attitudes or behaviour.
Books and articles on 'the problem of men' abound, some of them very good, especially when they restrict themselves to health or some other narrowly delimited area. The picture that emerges is more complex than ever before. Men do need to learn to be aware of and express their feelings more, rather than denying the uncomfortable ones. On the other hand, some men's preoccupation with emotions translates all to readily into 'I want my emotional needs met but I'm not prepared to reciprocate'.
Similarly, men need the space to redefine ourselves, to uncouple misogyny and masculinity. Men basically still need to understand and question and dismantle the excessive and aggressive power we wield. The newly-green-affluent-consumerism doesn't exactly challenge the fundamental inequalities of our society.
Achilles Heel has got much better in recent issues, with a more professional appearance, better layout and style, and seriously stimulating content. Recent issues have focused on such topics as sport, men's groups. men and women, men and families, men and sex, men and rage and men and work. The magazine aims to interest all men (and we know a number of women read it too) who are concerned with the place of men in today's world, where we can no longer take for granted the old certainties and the old roles.
(This article first appeared in Human Potential Magazine for Spring 1996).
