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Boys, Men and Society. Father. Testosterone. Questions. What is our role in school and society? How as teachers can our classroom make a difference to boys?. Boy Crisis?. The struggle of boys and men to adapt to a rapidly changing society causing men to fall behind or fail.
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Questions • What is our role in school and society? • How as teachers can our classroom make a difference to boys?
Boy Crisis? The struggle of boys and men to adapt to a rapidly changing society causing men to fall behind or fail. • Employment/Education • Environment/Health • Social
Employment • Work force- shift away from manufacturing • 1990 20% of American jobs in manufacturing • 2012 5% (US News) • 2001-2007 U.S. lost 3 million manufacturing jobs 500,00 have returned • 15 top expected growing professions in 2020 13 are traditional women professions. (Computers and Janitors)
Changes- Women and work • Women in management • 1970 15.9% 1980 26.2% 1990 36.6% • 2000 48.% 2012 51.5% • US Bureau of Labor • Women who out earn their husband • 1990 24.8% 2009 37.7% Catalyst.org • Women- Sole bread winner • 1976 6% 2010 23 %
Title IX • 1981-2005 • Female athletes rose 34%, teams 34% • Male athletes fell 6%, teams fell 17% • 400 mens college sports teams have been dropped (NCAA) • For every woman slot created men lost 3.6 (NCAA)
Stats on Health • 1 out of 54 boys has Autism- Girls 252 (CDC) • Men more than 2-4 times more likely to die of 36 types cancer (American Cancer Society) • Suicide Boys 17.7 per 100,000 Girls 4.5 • 80% of suicides are of males under 25.
Stats on Boys in School • 70% of D-E • 80% Discipline Referrals • 70% Learning disorders • 80% Behavioral Disorders • 80% Ritalin Users • 80% of High School Drop outs • 43% of College Population • American Council on Education
Birmingham Demographics • 81% White 12.6% African American • 89% white • 10% Special Education (77% white) • 9.33% Free or reduced Lunch (57% white) • Groves 71% White 23% African-American • Seaholm 88% White 5% African-American
Birmingham • 52% Male • MEAP reading grades 3-8 (Fall 2011) • Female 89% Male 84% proficient • Disciplined Students 9/2011-3/2012 • 71% Male of 772 (69% White)
Seaholm • 91 Students at Seaholm receive Special Services. 69 are boys. • Students with disabilities: 155- boys 115 -2012 Civil Rights Report
Groves • 2013 Fall 1st trimester D-E list • 9th 36/53 • 10th24/47 • 11th 46/63 • 12th 27/36 • 133/199 67%
Seaholm • 1st tri grades 2012 104/160 65% received D-E 2nd tri grades 12-13 125/188 66.4% received D-E Underclassman 60/82 73% 1st tri grade 2013 101/163 62%
Survey • 10th graders 23 boys 15 girls • Biggest Challenge in School • Boys- Paying attention • Girls specific grade issue Tests, Math etc • Biggest Challenge out of School • Boys Balancing time • Girls Family and friends • Change: Boys better relations with teachers
Profile of challenges • Poor or incomplete prenatal and infant care • Lack of a Father/Divorce • Environment • Media portrayal of men
Lack of Male Role Models • 24 million children in fatherless homes • 1 in 3 (US Census Bureau) • 5% of Child Care professional are men • 91% of elementary teacher women • 82% of middle school and elementary women (U.S. Labor Bureau)
Media Portrayal of Men • Hyper masculinity • high risk activities- pursuing pleasure • defying social standards determined by women • Primitive masculinity • Uncomplicated • Inept social interactions • Easily manipulated by women (Jeanette Erlendson, Cal Poly)
Wounded Souls • Boys feel that they are not loved by their parents and hated or disrespected by their peers and teachers. • Neglect and abuse • Bullying • Bringing up Boys by Dobson
Brain • 11 year old girls brain are at the ‘inflection point’ full at 21-22 (NIH) • 15 years old for boys and 30 for full • Girls multi task better than boys. • Girls are better with oral instructions • Girls are better with word production, expression and verbal communication. • The Minds of Boys By Michael Gurian
Boys brain • Boys are better with lists and point-subpoint organization. • Boys are less able to verbalize emotions and feelings • Boys have better spatial abilities and abstract reasoning. (Moral debates, abstract arguments) • Better deductive reasoning. Ex..SAT • Boys hear less- ex…Mom’s voice • Boys need space to learn- movement • Boys rely pictures to learn
Brain part deux • Boys operate with about 15% less blood flow. • Overstimulation leads to frustration • Frustration- ‘fight or flight’ more problems • “Rest state”: Essential to male brain activity. • Down time to regenerate. • Girls need less down time because of blood flow and activity
Lesson From Men’s magazines • Pictures • Lists • Q & A • Brackets • Timelines
Failure • Failure is personal to males. • An attack on our manhood • Avoidance of possible failure • “I did not try”
Competition • Brings out the best and the worst • Winners and losers • Ultimate competition is with yourself • Group or team competition
Socialization • Season of Life by Jeff Marx • Poverty, Drugs, Racism, Crime and the breakdown of the family are symptoms of the biggest failure of our society: • Not teaching boys how to be men.
Society Teaches Men • A false concept of masculinity • Athletic Ability • Sexual Conquest • Economic Success • This sets up men for failure. Always in competition, never good enough.
#1 problem • Father/Son Dysfunction • Sons try to earn respect and love through performance • Fathers need a clear definition of manhood and communicate that to there sons.
Ability to love and be loved • Displays of emotions are shunned in males • Men lack the tools and the vocabulary to deal with their emotions • Even men who are “successful and powerful” still fall into the trap.
Works Cited • Gurian, Michael, and Kathy Stevens. The Minds of Boys: Saving Our Sons from Falling behind in School and Life. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2005. Print. • Dobson, James C. Bringing up Boys. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House, 2001. Print • Marx, Jeffrey. Season of Life: A Football Star, a Boy, a Journey to Manhood. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2004. Print.
Works Cited • Powell, Kevin"Manhood, Football and Suicide." CNN. Cable News Network, 03 Dec. 2012. Web. 14 Jan. 2013. • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 29 Mar. 2012. Web. 14 Jan. 2013.