The ManKind Podcast
The ManKind Podcast is a space where modern masculinity gets redefined by real men doing real work.
In a world full of outdated blueprints and noisy stereotypes, hosts Brandon Clift and Boysen Hodgson unpack what it means to be a man today with humor, honesty, and heart.
This isn’t about telling you WHO to be. It’s about helping you pick up the pen and write your own story of manhood. Whether we’re breaking down leadership blind spots, sharing the messiness of personal growth, or talking to mission-driven authors and change-makers, this show offers tools, stories, and soulful conversations to help you show up as the man you're destined to become!
If you’re ready to stop performing and start becoming, tune in. We’re here for the messy, meaningful, and often hilarious journey of becoming the kind of man and human you actually want to be.
Created by the ManKind Project USA.
Hosted by Brandon Clift & Boysen Hodgson.
The ManKind Podcast
243 - How Men’s Groups Can Transform Men & Reduce Violence
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Can changing how men relate to one another reduce gender-based violence?
In this powerful international conversation, Boysen sits down with South African researchers Nicola Lazenby and Thaakirah Dollie, who conducted an in-depth qualitative study exploring how men’s relationships with other men influence their understanding of masculinity and mental health.
Set against the backdrop of South Africa’s gender-based violence crisis—where femicide rates are among the highest in the world—their research examines two distinct patterns of male bonding:
🔹 Hierarchical Homosociality
- Competition and dominance
- Emotional suppression
- Avoidance of vulnerability
- Aggression and status-seeking
This pattern reinforces rigid masculinity and is linked to diminished mental health and relational harm.
🔹 Horizontal Homosociality
- Collaboration and mutual accountability
- Emotional intimacy and safety
- Shared agreements and trust
- Authentic vulnerability
This model—found in structured men’s groups like those in the ManKind Project—was associated with increased well-being, deeper connection, and healthier expressions of masculinity.
The conversation also explores:
- Early socialization of boys through fathers and peer groups
- The systemic legacy of violence in South Africa
- Why compassion and accountability must coexist
- Fatherhood as a turning point for many men
- What it means to create healing cultural change
This episode is both sobering and hopeful. It reminds us that while masculinity is socially constructed, it is not fixed. And that how men gather matters.
BetterHelp: Get 10% Off Your First Month Of Therapy
The ManKind Podcast has partnered with Betterhelp to make it easier for listeners to access licensed mental health therapists who can aid them in their mental health journey. Brandon and Boysen stand by this service as they use BetterHelp for their therapy needs.
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