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Photo of four men embracing on a beach at night with colourful lights blurred in the background.

Gender

idea

Too many men lack close friendships. What’s holding them back?

Some masculine norms are a straightjacket, depriving men of the connections they need. It takes bravery to leave them behind

by Angelica Puzio Ferrara

A man observing a large, lifelike sculpture of an elderly man with a braid on a white gallery wall.

Psychoanalysis and the unconscious

idea

Men’s anxiety about hair loss can have a deeper meaning

As a psychoanalyst, I’ve seen how reflecting on the emotional symbolism of hair loss can be therapeutic for many men

by Tom Wooldridge

A blue sports car and a grey luxury car parked on a city street with people and a Christian Dior shop in the background.

Gender

idea

The ‘masculinity crisis’ is actually a crisis of self-esteem

There’s a modern belief that talent or effort can carry anyone to the top. It’s a myth that’s especially harmful to men

by Leo Rogers

Medieval painting of two figures in a garden, one in pink and the other in red, surrounded by plants and a tree.

Music

idea

Why did bloody knights write love songs about spring blossoms?

The masculinity of medieval knighthood was expansive enough for both graphic violence and the joys of a flower meadow

by Jennifer Saltzstein

A painting of a woman in 18th-century attire with a large hairstyle holding a letter, seated with a dark background.

The body and physical health

idea

Menopause was a French invention at a time of revolution

French doctors of the 1800s had a vested interest in pathologising women’s ageing, as do many commercial entities today

by Alison M Downham Moore

Photo of a smiling family sitting in a red convertible car parked in front of a suburban house.

Gender

idea

In more prosperous societies, are men and women more similar?

How much the sexes differ psychologically depends on how fair and wealthy a country is. But not in the way you’d think

by Kåre Hedebrant & Agneta Herlitz

Ancient marble statue of a headless Hermaphroditus, draped lower garment, against a plain background.

Gender

idea

There is nothing new about gender fluidity and nonconformity

From Mesopotamia and ancient Greece to precolonial India and medieval London, gender has always been more than a binary

by Chris Wheatley

A vintage photo showing people dressed in old-fashioned clothing, carrying baskets and bags, walking through a busy outdoor market area.

Thinkers and theories

idea

How the feminist philosopher Helene Stöcker canonised Nietzsche

Despite Nietzsche’s reputation for misogyny, his work inspired a leading women’s rights activist of the early 20th century

by Lydia Moland

Photo of a woman in black clothing on a street near a beauty salon with a colourful sign and a travel agency.

Human rights and justice

idea

The day the Taliban banned women like me from working

With my daughters’ education cancelled, I thought the regime had done its worst. Then a new message came from my office

by Nargis

Photo of a woman with headphones on a rainy bus, looking thoughtful. Blurred city lights visible outside the window.

Communication and language

idea

Listening in on horror: why many women love true crime podcasts

True crime podcasts turn violence against women into a form of entertainment. Why do so many female listeners enjoy them?

by Amelia Anthony

Photo of a large poster depicting a woman with blonde hair, with a person walking in the foreground.

Change and self-development

idea

The cult of being confident and why it doesn’t help women

By making women solely responsible for their own empowerment, the culture of confidence masks the true causes of inequality

by Rosalind Gill & Shani Orgad

Painting of a woman seated on a chair reading a book, with her hair in a bun, wearing a dark dress against a plain background.

Stories and literature

idea

Forget ‘Little Women’. How did girls learn to be grown women?

How might 19th-century novels for adolescent girls help us find healthier models of what it means to grow up female today?

by Julie Pfeiffer