By Ravin Singh  

HAVING demanded the international spotlight over the last few decades, the agenda of feminist movements has evidently positively impacted the social, political and cultural orientation of societies in the Caribbean, particularly Guyanese society, says US-based Guyanese scholar Dr. Leon Wilson.Dr. Wilson has directly been involved, over the last few decades, in work related to the construct and orientation of societies. This background speaks to both his academic achievements and his working life.

Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle recently, the scholar, who was featured as one of the guest speakers at the recently held National Association of the Adventist Men’s Ministry 2015 Men’s Conference, related that while Guyana still has a long way to go in terms of educating the populace on equal rights and opportunities for both genders, the country has been making active strides in this direction.

Moreover, he opined that this country is one of the leading states in the Caribbean to adopt an equality push geared towards promoting equal rights of both genders in all spheres of society.

“Guyana, like other Caribbean countries, is moving in the right direction. Even though the traditional roles of women have changed, perception of the role of men has not kept pace with change.

“If you look at the labour statistics, you’ll recognize an increase in women in the labour force,” he said.

And although there is a need to expand the involvement of women in the non-traditional sectors, Dr. Wilson, who has done extensive research on social behaviours and domestic welfare, posits that Guyana remains one of the leading Caribbean countries that have actively been pushing a women’s rights agenda.

Acknowledging the abuse of women as “rampant,” as is evident through research and daily reports, he also suggested that the value placed on the achievement of women is currently below par when examined holistically.

There is a tendency to push males more than females, he said, and this stereotype needs to be broken. He added: “Women are equally capable.”

While these new developments can be lauded, given the demand for integration of women into the national economy, Dr. Wilson is of the belief that the involvement of men, based on previous studies, is relatively higher. And while this, too, can be applauded, there is still a desirable need for men to fully assume their responsibilities in all divisions of life — social, cultural, religious, and political.

“It is important for men to understand that they need to share in total responsibility for caring for and developing of households. That’s where most of the conflict arises when it comes to the role of women in terms of financing and decision-making,” he pointed out.

To arrest these challenges, the scholar recommended that educational institutions play a more vital role in seeking to promote equality. But not limited to these institutions, he suggested that “if sufficient of us say the same thing [about equality], we will be much more effective.”

But Dr. Wilson, the current provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Alabama State University in the United States, has not forgotten his roots, as he seeks to aid in Guyana’s development through sociological approaches to developing robust societies.

Just last month, he was featured as a distinguished guest speaker at the National Association of the Adventist Men’s Ministry 2015 Men’s Conference, where he seized the opportunity to enlighten more than 1000 men on how to build strong families, communities and a stronger nation.

Emerging from his presentation were deliberations on challenges facing men in today’s society; the pragmatics of the male species; what it is to be a man; and issues of authority — more specifically, what it means to be in authority.

“One of the highlights of the discussion was ‘men in relationships’, because most of what we are defined as relates to our relationships with our spouses, children, workmates and families,” he said, adding that he also sought to highlight what the concept of “male headship” means.

“We also spoke about power relationships within households and the importance of men understanding that headship does not mean dominance, but playing a leadership role in helping to define the delicate relationships that exist within families,” Dr. Wilson said.

Important, too, is the responsibility of men to children who do not have the benefit of a biological father. “It is very tough when kids, who are not responsible for their births, are labelled. Unfortunately, even the church people label them, rather than reach out to them,” he said, noting that religious organisations must realise that they have a responsibility to help children, regardless of their birth. He emphasized that if the religious bodies fail in executing this responsibilities, then they are failing in their primary mission.

“If a relationship with a spouse is healthy, it will spill off positively on relationships with children. If relationship with the family is healthy, that’s critical because that is the unit which can affect what happens in society. And in that context, men need to understand that their role is not to be a boss, but to understand that they ought to be catalyst for positive relationships within families,” he said.

Having successfully completed his secondary level education at Victoria High School in New Amsterdam, Berbice, Dr. Wilson pursued the then O Level certification subsequent to becoming a teacher for a short while. He then migrated to Trinidad, where he read for his first degree, and returned to Guyana, where he worked for 18 months. He was then awarded a scholarship for his first masters at Andrew’s University in the US.

He returned to Guyana in 1976 after completing his studies, and spent six years working as a district pastor for the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. He then served as a Youth Director and Executive Secretary of the body from 1980-83.

In 1983, he travelled to the USA, having been awarded another scholarship, and completed his second Master’s Degree and PhD at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, Michigan. Both his Master’s Degrees and PhD are in Sociological Studies. His area of concentration is in social psychology and special training in social statistics.

Dr. Wilson also assumed a position at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, where he served for 19 years as professor, and for the last 7 years as Chair of the Department of Sociology.

The scholar also taught Advanced Statistics and trained 92 graduate students before his departure. But not limited to studying and teaching, he also spent time publishing and conducting research on families in the Caribbean. He has, so far, completed three major research projects in Guyana, namely Family Patterns and Family Interactions; Media Influences on Adolescent Development; and Risk and Protective Factors among Adolescents.

He also led a major project on health for the University of Michigan while in Guyana a few years ago, and he continues to contribute to Guyana by recruiting children of Guyanese heritage for advanced training. “I proudly support students who look for higher education,” Dr Wilson says.