荔枝视频

Are views on masculinity changing? A student in the 荔枝视频鈥檚  is hoping to find out with a national research project on how Gen Z men across Canada define what it means to 'be a man'.

Fourth-year Bachelor of Social Work student Charles Panabaker鈥檚 project is titled 鈥淵our Voice: Experiences, Understandings and Perceptions of Gender for Gen Z Men in Canada.鈥� 

鈥淭here鈥檚 a dizzying amount of change happening in Canadian society, and gender-related issues affect them all in one way or another,鈥� says Panabaker.

鈥淚 think Gen Z men are feeling uncertain, and even insecure or vulnerable, about several significant aspects of their lives.鈥�   

Panabaker鈥檚 work is supervised by social work associate professor Dr. , a longtime advocate for gender justice and men's roles in violence prevention.

鈥淧ublic discourse on gender is increasingly polarized,鈥� says Lorenzetti, MSW鈥�06, PhD鈥�16. 

鈥淲hile there has been notable progress in equity-centred policy and social norms over the years, there is evidence that we are living through a period of backlash.鈥�

Research explores perceptions

The project aims to better understand how Gen Z men across Canada perceive masculinity, gender norms and social identity. 

Generation Z, refers to people 鈥� sometimes referred to as 'Zoomers'鈥� born between 1996 and 2010, although some definitions of Gen Z include people born as late as 2012. 

鈥淭he perspectives of young men are often missing from conversations  about identity, equality and belonging, with little research that focuses on the perspectives and experiences of Gen Z men鈥� says Lorenzetti.

鈥淥ur study addresses a critical gap with potential impacts to services, supports and social policy.鈥�

The influence of social media and relationships

The research will also explore how influences such as social media, school, family and peer groups shape beliefs about what it means to 'be a man', and how those beliefs intersect with views on gender roles, politics, mental health and inclusion.

The project is supported by a U荔枝视频  (PURE) award, which provides up to $7,500 in funding.  The PURE award funds undergraduate research for eight, 12 or 16 weeks between May and August. Open to students in any faculty or discipline, the program offers hands-on research experience.

Panabaker was motivated to apply for the PURE award after taking a research course with Lorenzetti, where he learned about her work with the  (AMN). 

鈥淚t鈥檚 exciting to contribute to the work of the AMN, which is both deeply personal and socially relevant,鈥� says Panabaker. 鈥淚 believe it鈥檚 important to amplify the voices of this generation of Canadian men in conversations about masculinity.鈥� 

Generating conversations across Canada

The research builds on a decade-long community-U荔枝视频 partnership with  and other organizations such as the .

The study uses a short, anonymous online survey to gather responses from self-identified Gen Z men (18 to 25 years old) across the country. The survey is open until Aug. 10.

鈥淲e鈥檙e already generating conversation across Canada,鈥� says Panabaker, who has been interviewed by CBC about the project.

鈥淚 hope this research can serve as a starting point for future studies to gain a deeper understanding of the issues and explore ways to navigate it collectively as a society.鈥�

Lorenzetti adds, she hopes the research will open up space for positive and healthy conversations on masculinity for future generations. 

Participate in the Your Voice survey . Learn more by following YourVoice2025 on X or YourVoiceCanada on all other social media platforms.