Challenging Laddism: experiences from Newcastle

Richard Parry, Campaigns Officer, Newcastle University Students’ Union

Campaign Foundations

• Laddism offers new students an identity and a culture.• Impossible to change behaviour simply through a

confrontational campaign.• Key aim: to offer an alternative concept of masculinity, not

featuring sexism, racism and homophobia.• Importance of trying to include as many male role models and

opinions as possible.

The campaign

• Poster campaign- making students question what is/not acceptable.

• Social media- allows a space for debate and has a wide reach.• Sports clubs- attempting to change perceptions of masculinity

within university sport.

Themes arising

• Students targeted by the campaign are amongst the least likely to be engaged in the Students’ Union.

• Language of feminism tends not to be effective in changing behaviour.

• Reluctance of sports clubs to commit to anti-lad messages.• Lad culture established at school not university.