Boys Will Boys Research Paper

When my roommate was in elementary school, the boys in her grade would not let her play sports with her. The reason they gave her was that she was a girl, and sports were not for girls. She was told that she was not strong enough to play, and that sports were a boy thing. They then told her to go play house or kiss tag. When they said that, she proceeded to beat the boys up, making them look like the ones who weren’t strong. While violence is not the way to prove someone wrong, this story has a point. Taylor wanted to play basketball, but she was told she couldn’t because she was a girl. This might seem like innocent children making assumptions, but this is where it begins. These children will grow into adults that watch movies like Pixel, where the woman who is objectified is literally turned into an object, watch television shows like Two and a Half Men, which glorifies the manipulation and sexual conquest of women, and read books like Lolita and take it seriously. This idea, while developed in other places as well, is created through the media.

After the release of the record breaking Australian documentary Bra Boys: Blood is Thicker than Water, there have been a lot of conflicting feelings about the controversial gang, whether they are upstanding members of society who are misunderstood or are violent thugs.

In her essay titled “Toxic Masculinity is Killing Men: The Roots of Male Trauma,” Kali Holloway uses scientific data to and evidence to state that gender stereotypes and roles are killing men. Holloway’s essay is a wake up call to today’s society that says we as parents, siblings, teachers, and anyone else who comes into contact to children who are young and impressionable, need to raise boys and girls the same way to prevent and eliminate gender roles and stereotypes.

Upon reviewing the details of Why Nice Guys Finish Last, the author Julia Serano emphasizes that with society being the way it is, men tend to become “bad boys” because society and culture is brought up to believe that the way to win a womans heart and attention is by being sexually aggressive. Julia Serano argues that in order to recognize rape culture, we must first learn to understand the predator / prey mindset. In this essay, I will argue that in order to neutralize the predator / prey mindset, society needs to stop looking at women as the prey and the men as the predators. I believe that if society learns how to overlook men as being hunters and women as the prey, that would make the amount of rape occurrences drop massively.

The feminist movement has been trying to change the idea of traditional sex roles and stereotypes in society for decades, but maybe the issue relies on society instead of biological differences. While these biological differences and research show that there are small differences in cognitive brain activity between the sexes, they also propose a theory that this “is the way it’s supposed to be” (Pollitt 2549). Although these differences exist it does not mean that sexes should have permanently assigned roles in society. Katha Pollitt, a feminist author and high profile activist wrote the essay “Why Don’t Boys Play With Dolls,” published in 1995 in The New York Times Magazine. In the essay, she argues that “biological determinism may reassure some adults about their present, but it is feminism, the ideology of flexible and converging sex roles, that fits our children’s future” (2549). Pollitt raises important ethical problems in her essay, gender roles and stereotyping. Throughout her essay she provides several claims to her argument and builds credibility with her audience by using rhetorical strategies. However, the argument also exhibits some minor flaws, which could in return limit its persuasiveness. This analysis will identify Pollitt’s three main claims and the evidence she uses to support them. I argue that overall Pollitt provides an effective argument by building her credibility and expanding her audience with the use of rhetorical strategies, such as ethos, pathos,

In America, 1 out of 6 women fall victim to rape at some point in their lives—completed or not (“Victims of Sexual Violence” 1). However, this is only one form of sexual assault that women are forced to face. Groping and other non-consensual, sexual acts are also examples of sexual assault (“Sexual Assault” 1).. Many perpetrators of sexual assault roam free, practically unaffected and likely to commit another similar act, while the woman could feel the effects of this event for her entire life. This problem affects women from around the globe—and it’s time that we put an end to it, because if we don’t, who will? If boys were to be taught how and how not to treat women in their early years, sexual assault would not be as prevalent, thus, women, including us, would not have to worry as much about enduring this kind of torment.

The article “How Boys Become Men” written by Jon Katz, gives a positive statement on how boys still haven’t change and are still growing up the same. Jon Katz, shares with us while walking his dog one day, he saw a boy get beaten by a group of older boys. While walking towards him, Katz asked if he was okay; the boy said yes and begun to swing like nothing happened. I believe that what Jon Katz states is true, because the fact is; boys are always going to think they’re the Alpha Male in every situation. For example: who can climb the highest Rock, who can make a bigger splash in the pool or who can maybe get a girlfriend first.

Yet, notwithstanding for children who recognize unequivocally with their introduction to the world gender, gender policing can bring about enduring issues. Girls run a consistent danger of being taught to partner womanliness with silliness, and we may be showing boys a type of inconspicuous misogyny also.

If there has been one quality that I have retained all my life it would be my drive. I have always been driven to succeed and move forward. From an early age I knew I wanted to achieve two things: travel the world and become a lawyer. My passion for law came from an experience I had at Boy’s State and my dreams of travel came from growing up in a secluded mountain town.

The Boys and Girls Clubs of America goes all the way back to 1860. A couple of women in Hartford, Connecticut, did not think that it was a good idea that there were boys roaming the streets. They believed that boys engaged in productive activities would not become involved in unacceptable behavior. From these perceptive observations arose, in time, a national cause. By 1906, The Boys and Girls Club of America had formed facilities and operational programs in every state, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands (Taylor).

The Boys and Girls Club (BGC) is a national non-profit organization that provides youth with the tools and skills they need to become healthy adults, responsible citizens, and effective leaders. The BGC was founded in 1860 by three women, Elizabeth Hamersley and sisters Mary and Alice Goodwin in Hartford, Connecticut. The BGC was initially named the Boys’ Clubs until 1990 they became the Boys and Girls Club. Their headquarters are in Atlanta, Georgia. This organization was originally created to provide boys with a positive alternative to roaming the streets.

“Friend stopped, stood still, and braed himself.. see I’m no chicken” (Katz 221). Male maturation is a very complex sophisticated process. In “How Boys Become Men” Jon Katz takes on the challenge and head ache of analyzing this process. He explains how learning one of the central ethics of the gender is experiencing pain rather than showing fear and emotion. We do so by taken on challenges because we feel obligated to in front of our friends in order to not look cowardly. How we demonstrate machismo and lack commitment, how we do whatever we can to fit into the society around us and are willing to do anything just to resemble coolness and absolutely no tolerability of getting pushed around. It called Guy Code, a set of

A lot of males’ violent behavior and females’ complaisance can be accredited to family and institutional socialization. Parents usually raise boys on aggressive sports, such as hockey and football, which encourage violence. Girls, however, are generally brought up on "feminine" activities, dance and figure skating to name a few, which promote a gentle, polite nature. It is the rare parent that heeds their four-year-old son’s aspiration to be a ballet dancer by purchasing the child a pair of tights and a leotard. When a boy shows more interest in dolls than in trucks, his family may be distressed, and provoke him to reveal his "masculine" side. After striving for egalitarianism between the sexes for so many years, families still deter young girls from pursuits of hockey stardom, hoping to interest them in Pointe shoes. Displays of emotion by boys are often criticized for being "unmasculine", whereas emotional behavior in girls tends to be expected and accepted. As a result, boys tend to not only hide their feelings, but criticize friends for showing their emotions. Girls, on the other hand, encourage one another to express feelings and console one another naturally.

While reading the book Real Boys by Dr. William Pollack, I was assigned to only read (Chapters 1-4) I found myself reading this book all the way to the end. This book introduces the reader to several young men who share their thoughts of shame and despair in trying to live up to the "Boy Code". The Boy Code is a set of rules and expectations that come from out-of-date and highly dysfunctional gender stereotypes: the idea that boys need to keep their emotions in check; that violence is an acceptable response to emotional upset; that their self-esteem relies on control; and that they must reject any and all signs of “feminine” behavior. I felt I was reading about my son several times. Pollack feels the pain that comes from boys too early separating for their mothers this puts the young men on the cycle to hardening themselves psychologically. The one acceptable emotion becomes resentment. Throughout the book, Pollack encourages parents to take time with their sons in helping them express their feelings while showing them compassion and love. Pollack discuss the ways parents can help their boys escape from the gender straightjacket that is imposed upon them. Pollack exposes myths that negatively represent boys as macho creatures shaped by testosterone with no social skills. He instead presents examples of boys who are emphatic as a result of promotion parents and educates the reader to be aware that boys express their love through action and work. Pollack includes chapters as regards to the different but evenly vital role of mothers and fathers in bringing up their sons. He also writes about the effect of healthy interaction with peers and the devastation that some boys feel when they learn they are homosexual. Pollack takes on the schools in failing boys in a number of ways but specifically for failing to understand the Boy Code. Pollack states that there are stereotypes about what boys are and how boys should behave. These stereotypes continue to perpetuate, many of us know some of these are dated and some are simply untrue. A myth that has been made of boys is “Boys will be Boys” This thought that nature controls boy’s conduct is untrue. It is not true that testosterone brings aggression and violence in every

Gloria Jean Watkins, known by her pen name Bell Hooks (the name of her great grandmother), was born September 25, 1952. She grew up to be the author of more than three dozen books, the topics of which range from gender, race, and class, to spirituality, and contemporary media. Hooks attended Stanford University, The University of Wisconsin, and The University of California, Santa Cruz, eventually earning her P.h.D. In her article, “Understanding Patriarchy,” Hooks argues that patriarchy isn’t only harmful to women, it’s harmful to men as well, in different ways. Patriarchy sets rigid gender roles that say women are to be docile, obedient, and nurturing, while men should be violent, dominating, and aggressive. This ideal greatly emotionally stunts men, and makes it so that they cannot express themselves in any way other than aggression. In this article, Hooks was very effective in explaining and giving examples as to why the patriarchy negatively affects both men and women, and that it is up to both to break free from these constraints and work together to end the patriarchy.