The War Against Boys : How Misguided Policies Are Harming Our Young Men

"An updated and revised edition of the controversial classic--now more relevant than ever--argues that boys are the ones languishing socially and academically, resulting in staggering social and economic costs, "--Amazon.com. Abstract: "An updated and revised edition of the controversial classic--now more relevant than ever--argues that boys are the ones languishing socially and academically, resulting in staggering social and economic costs, "--Amazon.com An updated and revised edition of the controversial classic--now more relevant than ever--argues that boys are the ones languishing socially and academically, resulting in staggering social and economic costs. Girls and women were once second-class citizens in the nation's schools. Americans responded w ith concerted efforts to give girls and women the attention and assistance that was long overdue. Now, after two major waves of feminism and decades of policy reform, women have made massive strides in education. Today they outperform men in nearly every measure of social, academic, and vocational well-being. Christina Hoff Sommers contends that it's time to take a hard look at present-day realities and recognize that boys need help. Called "provocative and controversial . . . impassioned and articulate" ("The Christian Science M"onitor), this edition of "The War Against Boys" offers a new preface and six radically revised chapters, plus updates on the current status of boys throughout the book. Sommers argues that the problem of male underachievement is persistent and worsening. Among the new topics Sommers tackles: how the war against boys is harming our economic future, and how boy-averse trends such as the decline of recess and zero-tolerance disciplinary policies have turned our schools into hostile environments for boys. As our schools become more feelings-centered, risk-averse, competition-free, and sedentary, they move further and further from the characteristic needs of boys. She offers realistic, achievable solutions to these problems that include boy-friendly pedagogy, character and vocational education, and the choice of single-sex classrooms. "The War Against Boys" is an incisive, rigorous, and heartfelt argument in favor of recognizing and confronting a new reality: boys are languishing in education and the price of continued neglect is economically and socially prohibitive. ** Social Science,General,Psychology,Developmental,Child,Gender Studies

An updated and revised edition of the controversial classic, now more relevant than ever, argues that boys are the ones languishing socially and academically, resulting in staggering social and economic costs.

During the latest wave of feminism in the 1970s, Americans realized that girls and women were being shortchanged in society. The response was a number of social reforms that gave girls and women the attention and assistance that was long overdue. Consequently, girls have succeeded in school and women in society so that they now outperform boys and men.

Christina Hoff Sommers contends that today’s women’s lobby won’t face facts, fearing that aiding boys will happen only at the expense of girls. Women’s advocates are hindering efforts to address today’s gender imbalance, Sommers posits, and it’s time to take a hard look at present-day realities and recognize that boys need help.

Called “provocative and controversial...impassioned and articulate” (The Christian Science Monitor), this new edition of The War Against Boys offers a new preface and six new chapters, plus updates throughout the rest of the book, which argue that the problem of underachievement among American boys not only persists but is actually growing. Among the new topics Sommers tackles: how the war against boys is a war against our technological future and how our schools have become hostile environments for boys. She offers realistic, achievable solutions to these problems that include boy-friendly pedagogy, character and vocational education, and single-sex classrooms.

The War Against Boys shows how our society has continued to overemphasize the troubles of girls while our boys’ issues of devastating self-esteem and academic problems remain neglected. Boys need help, but not the sort they’ve been getting, and The War Against Boys is an incisive call to recognize and confront the growing implications.

"Christina Hoff Sommers analyzes the work of the leading academic experts, Carol Gilligan and William Pollack, and finds it lacking in scientific rigor. There is no girl crisis, says Sommers. Girls are outperforming boys academically, and girls' self-esteem is no different from boys'. Boys lag behind girls in reading and writing ability, and they are less likely to go to college.". "The "girl crisis" has been seized upon by some feminists and has been suffused with sexual politics. Under the guise of helping girls, many schools have adopted policies that penalize boys, often for simply being masculine. Sommers says that boys do need help, but not the sort they've been getting. They need help catching up with girls academically. They need love, discipline, respect, and moral guidance. They desperately need understanding. They do not need to be rescued from masculinity."--BOOK JACKET. Girls and women were once second class citizens in the nation's schools. Americans responded with concerted efforts to give girls and women the attention and assistance that was long overdue. Now, after two major waves of feminism and decades of policy reform, women have made massive strides in education. Today they outperform men in nearly every measure of social, academic, and vocational well being Content: Preface to the New Edition -- Where the Boys Are -- No Country for Young Men -- Guys and Dolls -- Carol Gilligan and the Incredible Shrinking Girl -- Gilligan's Island -- Save the Males -- Why Johnny Can't Like, Read and Write -- The Moral Life of Boys -- War and Peace -- Acknowledgments -- Notes -- Index. Argues that boys have become the primary victims of American society, showing how boys' weaknesses are aggravated by anti-boy prejudices and offering constructive suggestions on how to help young males IN 1990, CAROL GILLIGAN announced to the world that America's adolescent girls were in crisis.