Book Report Assignment: Lack Of Mentors

Book Report
Name
Institution of affiliation
Date
Book Report
In a fast changing world, the position of boys in this dynamic society is in peril. In a society where the nuclear family is in a state of disarray. Single mothers are the only family that boys have. They have limited role models and mentors to whom they can turn too in their quest to becoming men from boys. Gurian in his seminal book attempts to deconstruct the conundrum that is raising boys CITATION Gur96 \l 1033 (Gurian, 1996). The book looks into the challenges that parents often face in attempting to raise young boys. The book also discusses how educators can contribute to raising boys. The books take special note of the impact educators have on raising boys. Educators spend increasing amounts of time with boys. Their ability to mold these boys cannot be underestimated.
Research has in the past decades noted the cavalier attitude with which issues affecting the boy child are handled CITATION Joh12 \l 1033 (Chang’ach, 2012). Further to this, emerging social issues such as gender equality, feminism, single parenthood, girl child empowerment have changed the social landscape in relation to gender. However, there has been no concerted effort to reconstruct a society where the boy is capable of existing. The new paradigm is ineffective in providing a place in society for boys. The paper, therefore, seeks to evaluate the modern challenges affecting the boy child. The paper will evaluate these challenges through Gurian's prism. The paper will evaluate three scenarios. These scenarios will be evaluated to determine behavioral/psychiatric problems, precursors, stressors, resolutions, counseling techniques, and treatment of these problems.
Discussion
Lack Of mentors
The lack of mentors is a critical problem affecting the boy child today. This is due to the increasing disintegration of the family unit. Male mentors are essential in informing the boy’s expectations of what manhood constitutes. The lack of mentors' results in boys turning to the wrong sources to inform what constitutes masculinity to them. Boys turn to the internet, television et cetera to inform their transition into manhood. The result is an internalized misdirected rationale of what constitutes masculine and manly behavior. Where television and the internet depict the "man" as being unruly, undisciplined, sexually deviant, misogynistic person. The boy is quick to adopt these depictions and apply them to their lives. The boy is thus impaired; they are unwilling to excel academically. Academic excellence is considered as a "nerds" endeavor. Intellectual pursuits are sacrificed in preference for more physical pursuits. Sexually irresponsible behavior is encouraged in adherence to this warped definition of manhood. The results are unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections and a new generation of boys that will commit the same mistakes of their fathers.
The resolution to this as advanced by Gurian would be providing alternate role models for boys through the tribe. Gurian notes that the single mother has access to males in the circle who possess desirable qualities which ought to be transmitted to the boy. The boy should be encouraged to spend time with these posit...