Oh boy! by Dr Michael C. Nagel book excerpt
A war on boys?
All boys are human, even when there is reason to suspect the contrary. I mean that they are a fair sampling of humanity, with the right proportion of cheats, liars, dolts, heroes, and geniuses. A teacher finds it important to remember this fact.¹
Boys are, for instance, far more likely to harm themselves or to be involved in accidental death than are girls.²
Boys will top the class in accidents and assaults and they will be the bottom of the class in literacy and learning.³
… as a group, boys are in trouble. Not every boy, not in the same kind of trouble and not all of the time – but enough of them across all ethnic and socio-economic groups to know there is a pattern.⁴
What is not in dispute is that boys need help.⁵
Despite the fresh attention being paid to the problems of boys, many of the key indicators tracking how boys are faring, are getting worse, not better.⁶
The quotes above do not paint a very pretty historical picture of boyhood. Even Plato himself has been credited with a degree of concern about boys in noting that ‘of all the animals, the boy is the most unmanageable’.⁷ In the 1940s when Jacques Barzun penned the first quote offered above, he became one of many individuals throughout history lamenting the challenges associated with raising and educating boys. Today there are contemporary reasons to be even more concerned about growing up male – there is no shortage of evidence showing that boys lag behind girls in many measures of achievement and wellbeing. For example, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) notes that, worldwide, boys are more likely than girls to fail to attain a baseline level of proficiency in reading, maths and science.⁸ Such examples seem to suggest that boys are a problem, or at the least, problematic, which in turn often leads to agendas to ‘fix’ the problem.
For some, fixing the problem of, or problems with, boys too often focuses on how aspects of masculinity do not align with ‘proper’ educational and social conduct. Sociologists and sociocultural theorists, for example, argue that challenges and issues associated with boys are founded on the interplay of masculinity, social structures and cultural norms. Critics of such perspectives argue that these views often result in an agenda to ‘change’ boys that quickly become an actual war on boys and ‘boyhood’.⁹ While there is certainly plenty of evidence to suggest that there may indeed be some kind of ideological ‘war’ on boys or boyhood, there are also plenty of apathetic views related to boys. At the other end of the continuum, for example, can be found many who use the catchcry ‘boys will be boys’ to explain inappropriate behaviour without any consideration of why that behaviour occurred! I would argue that both positions either omit, or fail to recognize, any notion of ‘innateness’ in what it means to be male and, in particular, how such innate tendencies
may be the by-product of the brain and mind. Therefore, perhaps it is timely to look at what a boy might actually be, or, more colloquially, what a boy might be made of. New advances in science and medical research allow us to go beyond the nursery definition of ‘snakes and snails and puppy dog tails’ and offer a more contemporary perspective. In particular, the field of neuroscience has opened a whole new world of understanding the intricacies of being human and, indeed, being male.
Since the end of the last century we have learned more about the brain than had ever been known prior to this time. Now we can actually witness, in action, the neurophysiology and neurobiology of males and females alike. Continued advances in medical research and neuroscience offer very revealing data suggesting that the brains of boys maintain certain characteristics that may impact on their emotions, approaches to learning, personality and temperament, sense of identity and overall sense of wellbeing. An abundance of research also exists that identifies different neurological intricacies between boys and girls that can be explained by looking at the unique structural and chemical differences found between and within the brain of each sex.¹⁰
Examining the neuroscientific research about the male brain allows us to develop a new perspective in working with and attending to the needs of boys. Rather than looking to somehow fix the problem of ‘boyhood’, what we must do is modify our perspective of boyhood and boy behaviour. We need to have a greater understanding of the very biological and neurological factors influencing the boys and young men around us so that we can act with greater understanding and compassion. In knowing more about boys’ brains, minds and bodies we are also afforded an opportunity to better understand our own mechanisms for doing the things we do and acting the way we do. We may even save our own brains from the seemingly tiresome task of trying to figure out why boys do the things they do, and instead provide positive avenues for them to do so. If we can empathise with boys by understanding how their brains and minds work, then we can concentrate greater energies towards accommodating them in a proactive, pro-social and positive manner: they are all ‘human’ after all.
Exploring the humanity of boyhood is what this book is all about. The following pages offer the reader an exploration the evidence suggesting that the brains of boys operate somewhat differently to that of girls. However, prior to delving into aspects of brain difference related to sex, it is important to note a number of pertinent points. While structural and physiological differences exist between boys and girls, they also exist within each gender – it is important to note that not all male brains are exactly the same. There are, however, tendencies manifested in the general make-up of the male brain when we look at large populations of males rather than specific individuals that suggest that if we truly want to help boys succeed, we need to develop a better understanding of, and
a way of accommodating for, these differences.
While embracing such a perspective, it is also important to set a contextual framework by looking at how boys operate and exist on a daily basis, for brain research also recognises the important links between the brain and the social and environmental contexts that influence behaviour and decision making.¹¹ An approach for working with boys that recognises differences in the male brain should not omit the equally important role the environment plays in shaping some of these differences. In particular, new research points to the significance of the environment in relation to brain plasticity and development.¹² For example, some years ago John T Richardson, a researcher in cognition and memory, argued that understanding gender differences required an acknowledgement of the relationship between life experiences and cognitive ability.¹³ There are equally compelling arguments articulated across many disciplinary fields that recognise the interplay between biology, life experiences, cognition and other attributes associated with the brain and mind.¹⁴ Indeed, we must take into account how nurture influences nature and how nature can impact the nurturing process. With all of this in mind, we can look at the male brain and the question of how we can better engage with boys using the following sections of this book.
Chapter 1 develops a framework for understanding sex differences by teasing out differences in terminologies. Sex and gender, while often used synonymously, are not exactly the same thing and it is important to understand the subtle nuances between the two. However, the case is also made that it is often convenient to refer to sex and gender synonymously and a preferred approach in this book. This then allows us to look at the biology of differences and map out aspects of ‘gender’ which sit on the periphery of the aims of this book.
Chapters 2 and 3 explore the brain and its development, and sex differences in the brain, respectively. The science presented in these chapters is important for shaping the ideas and strategies for Chapters 4 through 6, which focus on different aspects of nurturing the nature of boys. The nature of boys is explored through understanding the issues, challenges and opportunities related to various aspects of educating and raising boys and focuses specifically on working with boys physically, cognitively/academically, and emotionally.
After looking at ways to help boys develop, mature and grow in Chapters 4 through 6, Chapter 7 explores how to work with boys spiritually. This chapter seeks to examine how boys are often penalised for just being boys. A discussion of the mistreatment of boys is also provided in this chapter and offers the reader further insights into why, at times, the ‘problematic’ behaviour of boys is often in the eyes of the beholder. This is particularly important with regard to the current zeitgeist of ‘toxic masculinity’, whereby numerous notions of being male are brandished as detrimental to social norms and human endeavour. In a sense this important discussion is an attempt to ‘counter the signals sent to boys (from society, the media, from some women who hate men, and some men who hate themselves) that being male is somehow intrinsically dirty, dangerous, inferior and/or tyrannical.¹⁵
The last chapter of the book then delves into how specific experiences can contribute to the developing male brain. There are specific challenges in raising and educating boys that vary from those encountered when raising girls. Meeting the needs of boys may require different approaches and a more nuanced understanding of why boys operate the way they do. The foundation for this approach is premised on neuroscientific and psychological research, and the translation of that research into various levels of discussion and practical use.
It is anticipated that this volume of ideas and its framework will be critiqued and subject to scrutiny. Readers will come to this book with their own set of beliefs about the origins and significance of gender differences. You may have certain understandings derived from personal and professional experience and as such, I ask that you consider the arguments and evidence presented with an open mind. My own ideas have changed over the years, and I have written this book with over 30 years of experience as an educationalist, 20 years as a researcher and university scholar along with my experience as a father and being male. I recognise that there may be some inherent bias in the framework presented but have tried to alleviate any bias by exploring multiple perspectives on sex and gender and providing the best evidence I could find. And the best evidence I have found acknowledges that although the fact that males and females have different brains should not be entirely surprising, it is also very controversial given that one of the implications of such a position means that not all brains think the same way and therefore not all things are equal. However, any discussion focusing on improving the lives of children should be open to analysis and debate, and this type of discourse is most welcome. Failure to acknowledge a need for critique and evaluation is antithetical to my own professional philosophy, and as neuroscientific research continues to grow, so too should the discussion on how best to meet the needs of all children through the interpretation of such research.
Finally, in writing this book, the intent was to put together a volume of work that both parents and teachers would be able to look at with a great deal of clarity. To that end, I have attempted to simplify the neuroscientific and research jargon and provide a user-friendly piece offering the right balance of theory, practical insight and useful suggestions. It is hoped that this book gives the reader insights into working with boys that are unambiguous, relevant and easily implemented, while simultaneously providing a new lens for understanding what happens when an X and Y chromosome combine. After all, the book’s primary message is that in order to accept boys as human, even if we suspect the contrary, we must first adjust our perceptions of what boys truly are and how we can best work with them.
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