1. Boys’ Development
Boys’ gender treatment – a major issue
Theories:
1)male separation trauma from mom and poor male
figure identification and modeling (Chodrow,N)

3. Boys’ Development
2) boys dominate classroom ,leading to lag in girls’ development
( an issue of female self esteem in 1990s) ( Gilligan,C)
3)raised with problematic ideals and alienation
(Pollock,W)
4) Innate goodness of boys despite harm from feminism
( Hoff Sommers,C)

4. 1981 “MYTH OF MASCULINITY” by Dr. Pleck
 Absent childhood models
 Maternal separation
 Need for autonomy
 Inherent isolation
 Dysfunctional rearing
 Constraining, inconsistent upbringing

5. Maternal Separation Studies

6. These are class
based theories!!
May not apply to all SES
levels, ethnicities

7. How have boys progressed?
Remember girls have benefited from major social advances
Girls’ changes boys’ changes
 Feminism
 Self esteem
initiatives
 Legislation
 Focus on male
predatory behavior
 Title 9
 Male backlash
 Under achievement
in school
 Increased drop outs
 More suicides
 Family dysfunction
 Emotional disorders
 Decreased funding
 Under achievement
in school
 Increased drop outs
 More suicides
 Family dysfunction
 Emotional disorders
 Decreased funding

8. Pollock ( Real Boys) at Harvard:
gender disadvantages
 Early disconnect at 5-6 years old
 2nd
disconnect at adolescent stage
 Boy code with gender stereotypes
 Sublimated feelings:isolation,
alienation,silence, loneliness

10. Problems
 Depression
 Suicides
 Under achieved academics
 Poor reading
 Poor writing
 67% of special ed. Classes = boys
 10X more emotional disorders

11. So, one group of researchers has made boys
sound alienated, prone to
depression………….and a bunch of loose
cannons!
 Boys actually do need: energy and
competition and daring
 In colleges only 45% students boys
 In AP courses, less boys
 Among African-Americans, sex disparity
is even worse with college BAs 63%
WOMEN

12. Solutions?
 Promote male heroes
 Male only classes
 Adventure literature
 Activity emphasis
 Less emphasis on demonization of
males

14. Nice guys = acting badly

17. Male influential advantages
 Dads help to develop controlled
behavior
 Positive attitudes towards women, by
male example
 Organizational abilities
 Aggression well directed
 Interpersonal cooperative ability

18. Studies poorly done
 Some studies use
no control group
 Boys not from every
social stratum
 Biased samples
 Poorly defined terms
 Discrepancies
between studies
 Male and boy
symptoms may vary
from girls’ symptoms
 Emotive quality not
as easily assessed

19. Common ideas
Male mentors enliven and stimulate
To regard boys as “toxic” subjects child to
negative stereotyping
Some essence of maleness may be positive
Competition, aggression,winning,group
dynamics, side to side communication
Love thru action is OK
Over dependence on the “mask” of
inexpressiveness can harm
Boy code exists: oak strong, give ‘em hell,big
wheel, no sissy stuff

20. Common areas
Boys and girls benefit from a less gendered
society
Anger control---helped by male mentor or dad
Respect development--- male mentor or dad
Generativity--- male mentor or dad
Play development---male mentor or dad