Of boys and men

I think it is a very significant subject and worthy of more reflection. The thoughts that will follow in several posts will come from my experience and from the work of Richard Reeves in "Of Boys and Men," a book that takes on both the left and the right. First, it seems to me, we need to be clear that being male is not a social construct, as some want to argue. No doubt , we overplayed the difference between men and women in the past, often with an oppressive result for women. But maleness shaped by hormones, evolutionary biology, maybe even brain function, is real. Yes, socialization has a role to play. Men not wearing pink is clearly a matter of socialization, not biology. But there is a givenness to being male. Boys' brains develop slower than do girls' brains, which is why it might be a good idea not to start boys early in school. Testosterone clearly shapes the behavior of men and boys. It has a role to play in anger development and a competitive spirit. You will note that almost all of the mass murderers are male. Now, personally, I don't think this is a reason to say, "Boys will be boys," excusing their behavior. But the truth is boys are boys. And grasping that will be essential to addressing the struggle we are having with boys and men.