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MissMillie

(38,949 posts)
Mon Nov 14, 2022, 09:51 AM Nov 2022

There is no 'war on men' - we now know feminism is good for boys

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/nov/08/feminists-war-on-men-misogyny-boys-gender-stereotypes-masculinity

However, The State of UK Boys report released today by the Global Boyhood Initiative shows that, instead of being victimised by feminism, boys are facing an entirely different crisis. Violence and being “tough” is normalised as a natural part of being a man, which encourages boys to see violence (particularly male-on-male violence) as an inevitable part of growing up. The study, which comprised a literature review alongside interviews with experts, also found that these kinds of stereotypes are present from birth, with families, schools and peer groups all playing their part.

Of course the impact of this is immense, and reading about the boys in the report who justified male violence through notions of men’s possession and ownership of women goes some way to explain the shockingly high levels of sexual assault in schools. But these stereotypes also harm boys – look, for instance, at the under-reporting of violence and abuse against boys and men.

Instead of reinforcing these stereotypes, the report’s authors suggest, all children would benefit from a feminist approach to learning (something that will come as no surprise to many feminists, who have been arguing for this for decades). For example, boys would benefit from learning about the problems with gender stereotypes, and also from a destigmatisation of close friendships between boys, which are often discouraged by homophobic ideals of masculinity. Encouraging male friendships, the study finds, would provide opportunities for boys to learn reciprocity, empathy and intimacy.


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There's a lot more in this article worth reading.


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There is no 'war on men' - we now know feminism is good for boys (Original Post) MissMillie Nov 2022 OP
KNR and thank you for sharing. niyad Nov 2022 #1
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