Boy Culture: An Encyclopedia [2 volumes]

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

In this two-volume set, a series of expert contributors look at what it means to be a boy growing up in North America, with entries covering everything from toys and games, friends and family, and psychological and social development. Boy Culture: An Encyclopedia spans the breadth of the country and the full scope of a pivotal growing-up time to show what "a boy's life" is really like today. With hundreds of entries across two volumes, it offers a series of vivid snapshots of boys of all kinds and ages at home, school, and at play; interacting with family or knocking around with friends, or pursuing interests alone as they begin their journey to adulthood. Boy Culture shows an uncanny understanding of just how exciting, confusing, and difficult the years between childhood and young adulthood can be. The toys, games, clothes, music, sports, and feelingsthey are all a part of this remarkable resource. But most important is the book's focus on the things that shape boyhood identitiesthe rituals of masculinity among friends, the enduring conflict between fitting in and standing out, the effects of pop culture images, and the influence of role models from parents and teachers to athletes and entertainers to fictional characters.

Reviews

Recommended for public and academic libraries that seek to develop comprehensive reference collections in gender studies. * Booklist *
Boy Culture would be a useful addition to collections supporting gender studies, masculinity studies, and sociology. Recommended. Lower-level undergraduates through faculty/researchers. * Choice *

Author Bio

Shirley R. Steinberg is the cofounder and director of The Paulo and Nita Freire International Project for Critical Pedagogy. She currently teaches at McGill University. Michael Kehler is associate professor at the Faculty of Education, the University of Western Ontario, London, Canada. Lindsay Cornish is a freelance editor and writer.