The Burden of Being a Boy: Bolstering Educational Achievement and Emotional Well-Being in Young Males

(Paperback)

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The Burden of Being a Boy: Bolstering Educational Achievement and Emotional Well-Being in Young Males is written for everyone who has a stake in the health and well-being of contemporary American boys and adolescentsparents, educators, counselors, educational administrators, student services personnel, higher education faculty, and students studying education and psychology. Mainly though, this is a book for those who are committed to seeing all boys grow and thrive while avoiding what has been termed as toxic male culture in this, and other, countries. While this book largely focuses on understanding the roles that schooling and upbringing play on boys development, it explores this complex topic with a clear belief that there are myriad factors that influence each boys developmental trajectory and that there are many ways to promote healthy, prosocial development among all young men.

Reviews

The Burden of Being a Boy by Young, Michael, and Jean, all educational experts, is a timely addition to the literature on the socialization of boys in the modern world, enhanced by the authors' diverse and substantial experiences in the field of education. Over five chapters, and supported by extensive references, this short volume seeks to understand the role of schooling in developing boys' emotional well-being and sustaining their academic success, as indicated by the subtitle. The authors detail the current problems facing boys as they struggle to reach manhood in the face of the demands of an educational system that is out of sync with their physical and emotional growth. This task is often hindered further by uneven support from fragmented and chaotic family lives. The text outlines various research findings and theories guiding boys' maturation into men, such as the boy code, which instructs boys "to keep their emotions under wraps" and dictates much of their behavior. This highly readable book will be of special interest to a broad audience, including parents, teachers, school administrators, and social psychology graduate students. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Graduate students, faculty, and professionals. * Choice Reviews *
The Burden of Being a Boy: Bolstering Educational and Emotional Well-Being in Young Males delves deeply into the current challenges and struggles facing young boys and adolescent males. An extremely timely topic, American boys are experiencing failure in educational and other realms. While acknowledging the importance of supporting girls and young women, at the same time our boys are falling far behind. Their lack of success shows up as school disciplinary problems, educational underachievement, gender role confusion, and threats to their mental health and wellbeing. This book offers concrete and evidence-based intervention for boys and young males, while engendering hope and solutions to impact change. I recommend that everyone involved in parenting, educating, coaching and/or working with boys and young males read this book to better understand the current state of the topic and how to become more effective role models, mentors, and community resources. -- William M. Fogel, PhD, LMHC, ABSNP; School Psychologist, Four Rivers Charter Public School, Greenfield, MA
At a time in history when boys and men are failing in the classroom and in many areas of life at record numbers, The Burden of Being a Boy: Bolstering Educational and Emotional Well-Being in Young Males offers a critical examination of the pitfalls and problems that face the contemporary boy. Beginning almost from birth, boys, and especially boys of color, face challenges that need to be addressed such as an education system geared towards women and navigating gender, race and ethnicity issues. This book explores theories of male development, educational strategies to promote engagement, as well as parenting skills and mentoring in an effort to engage the reader in a positive conversation on how best raise our boys to be successful members of society. Teachers, parents, and counselors would benefit from reading this book as a means to support our boys as they become the men of tomorrow. -- Martha H. von Mering, executive officer of special education & related services, Springfield Public Schools, Springfield, MA
Boyhood and male adolescence are in crisis in our country. The authors of The Burden of Being a Boy: Bolstering Educational and Emotional Well-Being in Young Males have done an excellent job in highlighting the confusion, disengagement, and even despair that so many young males experience during this time of rapidly changing roles and expectations. They document the struggles that boys have in finding their way to manhood without the traditional rites of passages, male-centric societal roles, and mentors and guides that have always guided their developmental path. With so many fathers geographically and emotionally absent and social networks frayed, too many young men are floundering in the face of figuring out who and what they are supposed to be. The book captures some of the angst that they face, as well as its psychological costs. Fortunately, each of the chapters conveys both the challenges and promising practices that those who care about young males can use to ensure a transition to positive and healthy masculinity. In doing so, the book provides a blueprint for educating, parenting, and just generally supporting boys and teens so that they can develop into the whole men they were meant to be. -- Judith L. Klimkiewicz Ed.D, senior consultant for K-12 College/Career Education and Workforce Development, Commissioner's Office, Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
The Burden of Being a Boy: Bolstering Educational and Emotional Well-Being in Young Males takes an in-depth look at the issues surrounding boys of the 21st century who are struggling in record numbers in the classroom, on the playground, and in the community. Armed with a solid understanding of theory, the book turns to look at educational and parenting practices as well as how intentional mentoring and counseling can strengthen our fragile young men. Helping this next generation of young men to have strong friendships, unique identities, and strong personalities that can lead us forward is the crux of this book. This is the beginning of a much larger conversation about how to best help boys become men and should be read by mothers, fathers, counselors, and teachers to name just a few. -- Anne E. Mead Ed.D, administrator, Danbury Public Schools, Danbury, CT

Author Bio

Dr. Nicholas D. Young has worked in diverse educational roles for more than 30 years, serving as a teacher, counselor, principal, special education director, graduate professor, graduate program director, graduate dean, and longtime psychologist and superintendent of schools. He was named the Massachusetts Superintendent of the Year; and he completed a distinguished Fulbright program focused on the Japanese educational system through the collegiate level. Dr. Young is the recipient of numerous other honors and recognitions including the General Douglas MacArthur Award for distinguished civilian and military leadership and the Vice Admiral John T. Hayward Award for exemplary scholarship.



Dr. Christine N. Michael is a more than 40-year educational veteran with a variety of professional experiences. Her previous work has included middle and high school teaching, higher education administration, college teaching, and educational consulting. She has also been involved with Head Start, Upward Bound, national non-profits Foundation for Excellent Schools and College for Every Student, and the federal Trio programs. She is currently the Program Director of Low Residency Programs at American International College.



Dr. Elizabeth Jean has served as an elementary school educator and administrator in various rural and urban settings in Massachusetts for more than 20 years. As a building administrator, she has fostered partnerships with staff, families, various local businesses, and higher education institutions. Further, she is currently a graduate adjunct professor at the Van Loan School of Education, Endicott College and previously taught at the College of Our Lady of the Elms.