About this Event
What does it mean to be a man today?
Join us in central London for the Modern Masculinities Conference, a one-day interdisciplinary event exploring the challenges, contradictions, and possibilities shaping men’s lives today.
Deepen your networks and understanding through interdisciplinary dialogue and work that enlivens and reimagines contemporary masculinities.
We are now inviting both attendees and abstract submissions.
Why this matters
Men’s health and wellbeing are receiving growing national attention and momentum, as reflected in the new Men’s Health Strategy for England. Yet stark challenges remain: healthy life expectancy for men is just 61.5 years, and suicide remains a leading cause of death for men under 50.
This conference offers a space for deeper understanding, dialogue, and action.
About the event
Bringing together students, researchers, practitioners, creatives, and policy-makers, this event explores contemporary masculinities across disciplines, perspectives, and lived experience.
🔍 Topics of interest include (but are not limited to):
- Lived experiences of boys and men
- Artificial intelligence and digital life
- Social media, identity, and influence
- Friendship, loneliness, and social isolation
- Diversity and intersectionality
- Intimacy, dating, sexuality, and gender
- Emotional authenticity and expression
- Mental health and wellbeing
- LGBTQ+ perspectives
- Contradictory pressures and “mosaic” masculinities
- The “manosphere” and online cultures
🎤 Who should submit?
We welcome contributions from:
- Students and early career researchers
- Academics and scholars
- Practitioners, clinicians, and policy-makers
- Artists, writers, and performers
Across disciplines including psychology, sociology, criminology, health sciences, media, computing, literature, and the arts.
🌿 What to expect
- A supportive, inclusive, interdisciplinary space
- Opportunities for discussion, networking, and collaboration
- Wellbeing activities, panel discussions and Q&As
- Free attendance, including lunch and refreshments
Keynote speaker: Professor Brendan Gough, Leeds Beckett University, "Affective masculinities: How do men enact vulnerability amid competing gender norms?"
Hosted by the University of Westminster and funded by the Quintin Hogg Trust.
Organising committee: Damien Ridge, Tina Cartwright, Alison Fixsen, Chantal Gautier & James Kempley
📅 Submit or attend
- Abstract deadline: 17 June 2026
- Abstract length: 200–300 words
- Suggested headings: Title, Authors, Context, Aim, Methods, Key Findings, Contribution/Implications
To submit an abstract or make an enquiry, contact:
Professor Damien Ridge
📧 [email protected]
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
University of Westminster - Cavendish Campus, 115 New Cavendish Street, London, United Kingdom
GBP 0.00
