Crossing Into Manhood: A Mens Studies Curriculum

Many scholars have documented and decried the "crisis" in American masculinity. There is a preponderance of evidence showing that males suffer from many physical, emotional, and social ills due to the gender scripts with which they were raised and which continue to govern men's lives. Throughout the millennia and across cultures, initiation rites of passage have been utilized as an effective means of transitioning young males into manhood. Modern culture suffers from a dearth of rites of passage leaving many boys stuck in puerile attitudes and behaviors and unable to make a wholesome transition into mature masculinity. Crossing into Manhood is a much needed guide on assisting late-adolescent boys' transition into manhood; it proposes a school-based curriculum and rite of passage paradigm to help young men make the difficult passage into manhood. Utilizing resources from diverse academic disciplines, this book surveys the psychoanalytic, the social constructionist, and the essentialist perspectives on masculine gender. As a result, a men's studies curriculum has been formulated-one that offers a balanced bio-psycho-social conceptualization of masculine identity. "Dr. Chris Mason's deftly reasoned and inspiring book arrives at a propitious time for all those who care about boys and their education ... The intellectual harvest of a seasoned and experienced educator with a deep wisdom about boys and schools, Chris Mason's book is an important contribution to that growing body of thinking about practice. It deserves close reading." - Bradley Adams, Executive Director, International Boys' Schools Coalition