What We’re Doing

We are conducting a research and education project to develop a prosocial model of masculinity. The aim of this model is to beat out “redpill masculinity” for the hearts, minds, and attention of a significant share of men. However, where redpill masculinity is fundamentally selfish, our Growth Masculinity will channel men toward attitudes and choices that benefit themselves and society. Once validated, this model can supercharge every other progressive effort to reach out to men and ensure the money spent on those efforts isn’t wasted.

Why this Project Is Necessary

Podcasts, organizing campaigns (online and off), creator incubators — it seems like everyone in the progressive world has an idea for reaching out to men since the 2024 election. But every proposal we’ve seen skips a critical step: explaining how it will appeal to men who might be tempted by redpill ideas while staying true to our values.

These efforts must be built around a validated model of masculinity in order to meet their objectives. But previous efforts by progressives to develop such a model have often fallen short of what’s needed in this case because they have often sought to deny – or worse, denigrate – the very traits associated with traditional masculinity that many men see as core to their identities.

Growth Masculinity will provide a rigorously validated intellectual and moral core that all progressive efforts to reach out to men will need. This will be the only model of masculinity that (1) will be recognizable as masculine by the type of males who might find redpill communities tempting and (2) will be recognizable as prosocial by those working to improve outcomes for men and for society.

Validate and Share

We propose an initial 12-month period of work: researching, defining, testing, and validating a new model of prosocial masculinity for a wide range of uses by movements and candidates committed to appealing to men and drawing them away from redpill culture. By leveraging traits of traditional masculinity into prosocial attitudes and actions – creating a path to feelings of significance, purpose, and connection that men crave today – we can improve the fabric of the nation while bolstering progressive causes and our electoral prospects. 

The research and deliverables will break new ground through a unique interdisciplinary approach and a starting point that embraces the positive elements of traditional masculinity. We believe the work will be highly applicable not only for political projects but also nonpartisan efforts to engage and reach men through a wide-range of prosocial projects and initiatives.

Unlock Growth

The model we produce will be for grown-ups, rather than the emotionally stunted man-babies that redpill masculinity produces. And it will help adherents grow as a person and grow their status. Growth also carries a political connotation that already aligns with the right, which is likely a positive for attracting a persuasion audience.