Of boys and men : why the modern male is struggling, why it matters, and what to do about It

Of boys and men Why the modern male is struggling, why it matters, and what to do about It

Richard V. Reeves

Book - 2022

"Boys and men are struggling. Profound economic and social changes of recent decades have many losing ground in the classroom, the workplace, and in the family. While the lives of women have changed, the lives of many men have remained the same or even worsened. Our attitudes, our institutions, and our laws have failed to keep up. Conservative and progressive politicians, mired in their own ideological warfare, fail to provide thoughtful solutions. The father of three sons, a journalist, and a Brookings Institution scholar, Richard V. Reeves has spent twenty-five years worrying about boys both at home and work. His new book, Of Boys and Men, tackles the complex and urgent crisis of boyhood and manhood. Reeves looks at the structural ch...allenges that face boys and men and offers fresh and innovative solutions that turn the page on the corrosive narrative that plagues this issue. Of Boys and Men argues that helping the other half of society does not mean giving up on the ideal of gender equality." --

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Location Call Number   Status
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Subjects
2000-2099
Men > Social conditions > 21st century.
Boys > Social conditions > 21st century.
Masculinity.
Sex differences in education.
POLITICAL SCIENCE / Public Policy / Social Policy.
Boys > Social conditions.
Men > Social conditions.
Gender identity.
Children.
Gender expression.
Gender.
Family members.
History.
Genres
History
Published
Washington, D.C. : Brookings Institution Press [2022]
Language
English
Main Author
Richard V. Reeves (author)
Physical Description
xiii, 242 pages : black and white illustrations, charts ; 24 cm
Also issued online
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 186-233) and index.
ISBN
9780815739876
  • Preface: Worried Dad to Worried Wonk
  • Part I. The Male Malaise
  • 1. Girls Rule
  • Boys Are Behind in Education
  • 2. Working Man Blues
  • Men Are Losing Ground in the Labor Market
  • 3. Dislocated Dads
  • Fathers Have Lost Their Traditional Role in the Family
  • Part II. Double Disadvantage
  • 4. Dwight's Glasses
  • Black Boys and Men Face Acute Challenges
  • 5. Class Ceiling
  • Poor Boys and Men Are Suffering
  • 6. Non-Responders
  • Policies Aren't Helping Boys and Men
  • Part III. Biology and Culture
  • 7. Making Men
  • Nature and Nurture Both Matter
  • Part IV. Political Stalemate
  • 8. Progressive Blindness
  • The Political Left Is in Denial
  • 9. Seeing Red
  • The Political Right Wants to Turn Back the Clock
  • Part V. What to Do
  • 10. Redshirt the Boys
  • Boys Need an Extra Year in the Classroom
  • 11. Men Can HEAL
  • Getting Men into the Jobs of the Future
  • 12. New Dads
  • Fatherhood as an Independent Social Institution
  • Epilogue
  • Acknowledgments
  • Notes
  • Index
Review by Choice Review

The subtitle of this book lays out the three areas the book explores: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do About It. Reeves (economics, Brookings Institution) surveys a wide range of social science scholarship on the issues men and boys face in the contemporary US to argue for a gender politics that can accommodate their specific needs. Rather than treat men as a monolithic identity, Reeves breaks down the problems men face by race, class, and education level to underscore the different challenges they encounter. The issues men and boys face have drawn recent attention in other works, including Christina Hoff Sommers's The War Against Boys (Simon & Schuster, 2015) and Justin Baldoni's Man Enough (HarperCollins, 2021). Reeves's sensitivity to the impacts of race and class on masculinity sets this book apart from other titles. Though Reeve's project of rehabilitating American men might lend itself to anti-feminist efforts to roll back the advances made for women, Reeves encourages readers to pursue liberal gender politics that achieve greater opportunities for men and women by being sensitive to their unique needs. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates, professionals, and general readers. --H. Howell Williams, Western Connecticut State University

Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.

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