Cracks can be an indication that an edifice will not last forever. Cracks do not reveal what the future will look like. Using this little torch of optimism, what are we looking for? This study is looking for cracks in the traditional gender order.
A hermeneutic of hope is but a little torch that is needed in a dark place. Looking out for signs of change does certainly not mean that everything is well. Employing a hermeneutic of hope does not mean that these are denied or forgotten. Gender-based violence, exploitation, and injustice are everyday realities. Sexism and homonegativity remain acute problems in our society. Therefore, the limits to any generalizations from my observations must be emphasized.įinally, this study investigates issues of sex and gender. In our diverse and stratified society, a great number of men find themselves situated at very different intersections. Consequently, much of my research work is about analysing and interpreting the lives of men at the intersections of relatively privileged positions. Most of these men are, like myself, ‘white’ middle-class fathers in heterosexual couples and decently paying office jobs. My own pastoral work with men is located in Brussels, the capital of Belgium. The second disclaimer is about my own positionality and the narrowness of my vision. Reflecting on whether anything good can come out of the COVID-19 crisis does not make the crisis any less terrible. They must be recognized for what they are, evil, and they cannot be ‘netted out’ against anything perceived as potentially positive side effects. The direct human costs in terms of illness and death, but also the indirect social, economic, and mental-health costs are tremendous. Such optimism requires some disclaimers.įirst of all, the COVID-19 pandemic is a terrible tragedy for humanity. In other words, this study employs a hermeneutic of hope for its examination of historical transformations of the gender order. One important presupposition of this study is that positive change is possible even in the context of a tragic crisis. 4 The aim of this study is to explore, with a particular focus on men, how far the COVID-19 pandemic has created momentum, at both the societal and the individual level, for the undoing of gender. 3 Pastoral care must therefore be attentive to gender, help care seekers to deconstruct life-limiting gender codes, and create gentle opportunities for ‘undoing gender’. 1 Gender is a social structure 2 that can constrain human flourishing and may encourage maladaptive behaviors. Pastoral theology and the practice of pastoral care seek to promote human flourishing.