ABOUT BRENDAN K. HARTMAN
All research is, on some level, “me-search”
Dr. Brendan Kwiatkowski-Hartman
Sociologist | Speaker | Consultant | Educator | Researcher
Dr. Brendan K. Hartman specializes in the social-emotional development and wellbeing of boys and men—and how this connects to the wellbeing of all genders. His interdisciplinary work bridges sociology, psychology, and education to foster healthier relationships, emotional connection, and resilience in individuals, communities, and systems.
A Word from Brendan
I started Re:masculine in 2018—short for “Regarding Masculinity”—because I wanted to do what I could to help change the world when it came to boys, men, and masculinity. I wanted to improve their mental health and wellbeing. I wanted to help strengthen their relationships—with themselves, with others, and within culture. And I wanted to contribute to healthier gender dynamics and greater collective wellbeing for people of all genders.
Those goals haven’t changed, but how I frame them has.
Today, more than anything, I want to be part of people’s healing—including my own. I don’t believe we can (or should) do this work without turning inward even as we reach outward. Growth—real, lasting change—requires both.
Even though not all of my work centers on masculinity, the word remains in the name because masculinity impacts us all. For some, it’s a source of empowerment. For others, it’s been a source of harm–at least in certain forms. And for many, it’s a bit of both.
What excites me most is stepping into the complex, sometimes uncomfortable space where individuals, teams, and systems begin to recognize the old stories they’ve carried—about emotions, gender, power, or change—that once served them, but now deserve to be updated into something more alive, aligned, and life-giving.
That’s what my work—and Re:masculine—is really about.
Brendan’s Bio
Brendan holds a Ph.D. in Education from the University of Edinburgh, where his research explored the emotions, masculinities, and schooling experiences of Canadian teenage boys.
Brendan also teaches gender, psychology, and education courses at the university level and is currently a Sessional Instructor (the Canadian equivalent of Adjunct Faculty) in the Faculty of Education at the University of the Fraser Valley, BC. He recently led a Canadian government-supported program for male youth considered “at-risk.”
As a consultant, he partners with individuals, schools, and organizations to design and deliver research-based talks, workshops and action plans that equip educators, parents, and leaders to more effectively support boys and young men, and to navigate gender-related challenges with confidence and care.
A mixed-methods researcher at heart, Brendan is committed to making academic knowledge practical, accessible, and transformative. His person-centered approach seeks to humanize research and amplify lived experience.
Before his doctoral work, Brendan taught psychology, history, biology, and social justice as a secondary school teacher near Vancouver, BC. He also holds an MA in Special Education, during which he designed and led a year-long social-emotional intervention for boys with diverse behavioral needs.
Some of the things that Brendan enjoys include nature, breathwork, cold plunges, freediving, quality conversations, and music. This list does not include journalling, but he reluctantly admits it’s incredibly important to him as well. Brendan lives in Vancouver, BC, with his wife and their three young children—some of the best mirrors and catalysts for his own healing.
Research Interests Include:
