The War Against Boys
Page 31
antiharassment programs in, 55–56, 203
boys’ play behavior and, 44, 55–56, 63, 64–73, 121, 201–2
competitive and aggressive play discouraged in, 40–43, 44, 55–56, 63
emotional disengagement theories in, 117–20, 121, 122–23, 126, 139–40, 142
emotional “reconnection” efforts in, 139–40, 141–42, 143–44, 145, 146
ethical questions on, 66, 70, 73, 124, 144
Faludi’s “masculinity crisis” claims and, 137–38, 139, 175
freeing boys from masculine stereotypes in, 114, 115, 122–24, 157
Gilligan’s influence on, 115–16, 118–19, 121–24, 126, 138
male resistance to, 68–69, 139, 145
patriarchal social order criticized in, 115–20, 121–22, 123, 124, 139, 175, 176, 178, 180, 203
Pollack’s “boys-in-crisis” hypothesis in, 127–33, 134, 135–37, 188, 231n
social origins of gender identity argument in, 65–68, 70–73, 201
violence prevention programs in, 53, 54–55, 56
“women-centered” pedagogy in, 76–79
Reviving Ophelia (Pipher), 12, 29, 77, 97, 136
Ricardo (ninth grader), 9
Riley, Richard, 188
Rivers, Caryl, 22
Rochester Institute of Technology, 166
Rose, Amanda, 142–43
Rosin, Hanna, 203–4
rough-and-tumble play (R&T), 41–43, 44–45, 67, 76, 201–2
Ruby, Allen, 192
Ruddick, Sara, 108
Ryder, Norman B., 173
Sadker, David, 68–69, 97, 102, 104, 210n, 227n
Sadker, Myra, 68–69, 97, 102, 104, 210n, 227n
Saltzman, Amy, 102
Sandy Hook Elementary School, 52, 189
San Francisco Chronicle, 53
Santiago, Ralph, 8, 9, 10
SAT exams, 15, 16, 93, 94
Sattel, Sue, 54–55, 56
Saturday Today, 134–35
Sax, Leonard, 81
Scherzer, Kevin, 176, 177–78, 197
Scherzer, Kyle, 176, 177, 197
SchoolGirls (Orenstein), 76–79
school shootings, 46, 50, 52, 59, 127, 128, 133, 134, 135–36, 187–90, 238n
Schools Our Children Deserve, The (Kohn), 150
School Violence (Cornell), 50
Schuster, Sharon, 100
Science, 83, 84, 85, 86, 151
Science Daily, 43
Science News, 100
Scientific American, 67
Scotland, 168
See, Carolyn, 97
Seles, Monica, 79
self-esteem, 8, 140, 145, 146, 149, 152, 193
of boys, 101, 128, 129, 152, 232n
girls’ alleged loss of, 12, 76, 78, 98–101, 147, 231n, 232n
juvenile delinquency and inflated sense of, 145, 179
self-esteem movement, 11, 76, 98–101, 126, 140, 144, 145–46, 157, 181, 184, 194, 195, 231n, 232n
controversial studies in, 12, 99–103, 106
questionable morality of, 145–46
removal of competitive games and, 40–41, 63
research contradicting thesis of, 104–7
Seoul, Korea, 85
separation anxiety disorder, 130–31, 231n
serial killers, 55
sex differences, 204
in academic achievement, 12–20, 22–25, 27–28, 34–38, 83, 105, 152, 153, 210n–11n
acknowledgement of, as taboo topic, 1–2, 82, 201
in aggression, 62, 67, 221n
antisocial behavior and, 172–73
biological theories on, 66, 67, 72, 74–76, 80–81, 117
in brain anatomy, 80–81
in emotional styles, 39, 141, 142–43
feminist criticisms of research on, 80, 81
as historical justification for patriarchal social order, 80–81
in IQ distribution, 168–69, 168
in learning styles, 2, 19, 37, 82, 154–55, 201
in moral reasoning, 107–9, 112, 117, 126, 172, 180–81, 229n
in play preferences, 41, 42, 44, 64, 67, 70, 72, 73, 75, 89–90, 141
in primates, 67, 75–76
in reading preferences, 87, 153, 154, 155, 156–57
in sexual promiscuity, 131–32
social origins theory on, 65–68, 70–73, 74
in social skills and maturity, 36–37, 38, 169, 197
in suspension rates, 47
in test-taking skills, 169–70
tolerance and respect for, 44, 63, 73, 88, 89–90, 201, 204–5
in vocational preferences, 9, 10, 26, 27, 75, 162–63, 164, 166–67
see also gender gap
sex discrimination, 11, 26, 60, 74, 101, 162, 164, 214n
studies on, in education, 11, 12, 100, 101–3, 210n, 227n
sexism, 2, 11, 53, 74, 78
single-sex schooling as, 84, 85–86
sex segregation, 5, 11, 64, 84, 87
in play behavior, 66, 89
in vocational schools, 11, 162, 164, 170
see also single-sex schooling
sexual assault, 51, 57, 58, 62, 165, 174–80, 203, 220n
sexual harassment, 78–79, 176
preventative programs on, 55–56
zero-tolerance policies on, 60–62
sexual promiscuity, 131–32
Shaw, Roberta, 133
Shehan, Billy, 179
Sherwin, Galen, 83
shoplifting, 181
shortchanged-girl movement, see girl-crisis movement
Shortchanging Girls, Shortchanging America (AAUW report), 99–101
Shriver, Maria, 134, 135
Simmons, Roberta, 100
Simon, Sidney, 183
single-sex schooling, 1, 2, 4–5, 19, 81–88, 152–54, 171
“boy-friendly” pedagogy in, 4, 81, 88
critics of, 4–5, 82, 83–88
gender stereotypes as allegedly promoted in, 82, 83, 84
test scores and, 82–83, 85
Sizer, Nancy, 182–83, 185
Sizer, Theodore, 182–83, 185
Smith, Susan, 135
Smith, Tom, 138
Snyder, Thomas, 12, 18, 19
sociopaths, 178, 179, 188, 190, 203
Sommers, David, 39, 139–40
Son’s Day, 53, 54, 56, 203
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, 166–67
Soviet Union, 160
special education programs, 211n
Spelke, Elizabeth, 74
sports, 57, 165, 166
“spread” phenomenon, 15–16, 25, 168–69
Springfield, Oregon school shooting, 135
Spur Posse, 137, 174, 175, 178–80
Stafford, Tim, 196
State of Our Nation’s Youth 1998–99 (Horatio Alger Association study), 228n
Stein, Nan, 55, 56
Steinem, Gloria, 80, 81
Stiffed: The Betrayal of the American Man (Faludi), 137–38, 139
Stotsky, Sandra, 156–57
Subrata, Levina, 60
Success for Boys, 2, 156, 171
suicide, 134, 138
Sum, Andrew, 24
Summers, Lawrence, 74, 81
“superpredator” myth, 2, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53
Supreme Court, US, 185–86
suspensions, 4, 14, 45, 46, 47, 60–61, 186, 191, 198, 211n
school failure as potentially linked to, 47–48, 49
zero-tolerance policies and rising rates of, 47
Sweden, 8, 173
tag games, 40, 44, 55–56, 61, 63
Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day, 53
Take Our Daughters to Work Day, 11, 54, 98–99, 106
talk therapy, 144–45
Talk with Me Barbie, 141
Tannen, Deborah, 41
Taylor, Nicholas, 46
Taylor-Thompson, Kim, 180
teachers’ assessments, 36–38, 37
Teach Kids, Not Stereotypes, 87
Ten Co
mmandments, 143
testing, test scores, 15–16, 17–18, 35–36, 37, 151
single-sex schooling in raising of, 82–83, 85
“spread” phenomenon in, 15–16, 25, 168–69
young boys at disadvantage in, 169–70
Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), 130
therapism, 144–45
Thernstrom, Abigail, 185–86
Thomas B. Fordham Institute, 157
Thurow, Lester, 151
Time, 49, 107
Times of London, 151–52
Timoney, Patrick, 45–46
Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, 185–86
Titel, Marc, 179–80
Title IX, 10–11, 33, 60, 87, 164–66
Title IX at 40 (NCWGE report), 33
Today, 134
“tomboys,” 73
Tools of the Trade (National Women’s Law Center), 164, 170
toys, 64, 70, 72, 73, 121, 140–41, 202
Trends in Educational Equity of Girls and Women (DOE report), 11–14, 17–18, 20, 35, 105
Truth About Girls and Boys (Barnett and Rivers), 22
Tufts University, 111, 141
tug-of-war, 40, 44
20/20, 19, 134
United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women, 11, 210n
U.S. News & World Report, 8, 19, 102
Valian, Virginia, 70–72, 73
value-free education, 174, 181, 182–84, 185, 186, 187, 190, 198
Van Devender Middle School, 81, 88
Velte, Kyle, 59
violence, 64, 115, 128, 136, 193, 204
adolescent boys in high-profile cases of, 50, 52, 127, 135, 174–80, 187–90, 238n
anti-harassment education guides for prevention of, 54–55, 56
conduct disorders as risk factor for, 63, 173
domestic, 54, 220n
hypermasculinity and, 62
lack of moral education and discipline tied to, 179–80, 187, 189, 240n
male-on-female rates of, 57–58, 59, 60, 220n
misinformation and myths on, 50–51, 52, 53, 57–60
Ms. Foundation’s program for prevention of, 53–54
paternal absence and, 120–21
in play behavior, 41, 43, 62, 64, 90
in schools, 46, 48, 50, 51–52, 51, 53, 60, 127, 128, 133, 134, 135–36, 187–90, 238n
sexual assault, 51, 57, 58, 62, 165, 174–80, 203, 220n
traditional masculinity viewed as cause of, 40, 50, 53–54, 56–57, 58, 59, 60, 62, 120, 121, 175–76, 178, 179, 180, 188–89, 203, 238n
widespread fear of, 49–51, 52–53
zero-tolerance policies in response to, 46, 48–49, 50, 51
vocational schools, 1, 7–11, 27, 33, 159, 160–67, 170, 171
female students in, 8–10, 160–61, 162–67
legal battles against, 9–10, 164
promoting of nontraditional fields for women in, 162–67
sex segregation in, 11, 162, 164, 170
state and federally mandated gender quotas for, 163–67
women’s lobby as critical of, 9–10, 27, 162, 164, 170
Vogue, 107
Voyage of the Beagle (Darwin), 113
wage gap, 21, 25–27, 214n
Walker, Lawrence, 109
Wall Street Journal, 21
Walters, John P., 49
Washington Post, 21, 23, 33, 43, 97, 134, 156–57
Weldon, Fay, 144
Wellesley Centers for Women, 2, 55, 60, 65–66, 67, 70, 90, 101, 104, 141
West, Cornel, 103
“What’s Wrong with Guys?” (Mortenson), 28
What Works Clearinghouse (WWC), 193
What Works in Character Education (2005 survey), 192
Where the Girls Are (AAUW report), 20–24
“whirlpoolers,” 174
White, Byron, 186
Whitmire, Richard, 34
Who Stole Feminism? (Sommers), 57
Why So Slow? (Valian), 71, 72
Wilder-Smith, Barbara, 43
Williams, Neil, 40–41
William’s Doll (Zolotow and Du Bois), 69, 73
Wilson, James Q., 16, 49, 50, 52, 53
Wilson, Marie, 98, 99
Windolf, Jim, 138
Wisconsin, University of, 124–25
Wolfe, Tom, 200
women:
gender pay gap and, 21, 25–27, 214n
higher education of, 13, 14, 16–17, 17, 19–20, 22–23, 23, 24, 27, 29–30, 30, 31, 34, 165, 213n
leading causes of death among, 58, 59
male violence against, 51, 57–58, 59, 60, 62, 165, 174–80, 203, 220n
negative stereotypes of, 80, 106–7
nurturing propensities in, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 108, 116, 117
patriarchal subordination of, 80, 107, 116, 176
in workforce, 25–27, 28, 31–32, 32, 34, 203–4
see also girls; sex differences
Women’s Educational Equity Act (WEEA) Resource Center, 56, 58, 60, 66–67, 222n
women’s lobbying groups, 2, 3, 18, 27, 38, 156, 157, 171, 175
antiharassment programs of, 55–56, 203
“boy-friendly” projects criticized by, 1, 20, 21–22, 156
cultural and political influence of, 11, 33, 34, 60, 70, 90, 102–3, 114, 164, 170, 171
girl-crisis movement of, 11–12, 16, 20, 29, 33, 35, 76, 78, 96, 98–103, 106, 107, 112, 126, 171
male academic crisis dismissed by, 20–24, 25, 27, 33
vocational schools under attack by, 9–10, 27, 162, 164, 166, 170
see also gender-equity activists; specific women’s groups
women’s movement, 3, 22, 33–34, 80
Woodland Park Middle School, 196
Worcester Technical school, 160
workforce, 34, 150
gender-specific distribution in, 19, 75, 204
men’s declining wages in, 29–31, 32
pay gap in, 21, 25–27, 214n
women in, 25–27, 28, 31–32, 32, 34, 75, 203–4
World War II, 124–25
Write Source 2000, 139–40
Yale University, 53, 133
YMCA of the USA, 191
You Just Don’t Understand (Tannen), 41
Young, Cathy, 220n
Youth, Gender, and Violence (Ms. Foundation report), 53, 59
zero-tolerance policies, 2, 8, 40, 45–49, 50, 60–62, 63, 174, 190, 198
excessive punishments of, 46–47, 60–62
ineffectiveness of, 48–49, 51
sexual harassment and, 60–62
Zimring, Franklin, 52
Simon & Schuster
A Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
www.SimonandSchuster.com
Copyright © 2000, 2013 by Christina Hoff Sommers
Preface copyright © 2013 by Christina Hoff Sommers
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Simon & Schuster Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.
This Simon & Schuster hardcover edition August 2013
SIMON & SCHUSTER and colophon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
The Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau can bring authors to your live event. For more information or to book an event contact the Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau at 1-866-248-3049 or visit our website at www.simonspeakers.com.
Designed by Aline C. Pace
Jacket design by Laurie Carkeet
Jacket photograph © Catherine Lender/Getty Images
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Sommers, Christina Hoff.
The war against boys: how misguided policies are harming our young men / Christina Hoff Sommers.—New and Revised Edition.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Teenag
e boys—United States. 2. Teenage boys—United States—Psychology. 3. Feminism—United States. I. Title.
HQ797.S6 2013
305.235’1—dc23
2012051639
ISBN 978-1-4516-4418-0
ISBN 978-1-4391-2658-5(ebook)