The Failure of Male Initiation in Post-modern Culture

Michael J. Formica writes about the fact that men are not taught how to access their emotions. He says, "Plainly put, boys will be boys and men will be boys -- because no one is there to teach boys to be men." He goes on to talk about women in out culture have biologically-based rites of passge that allows a clear path towards womanhood.

Since the Industrial Revolution men lost some things that were key points to a smiliar social rites of passge. Affecting boys, making them loose the conect of their manhood. He saus that global continuity of femal social development and socialization has made a sort of group momentum but when boys go through the process they split in a dramatic way.

So according to Formica, you can re-parent the things involved with making a boy into a man. Using the idea of strength in numbers to give boys the manhood they are robbed of. He thinks that it's essential for them to find this manhood to define and find themselves.

I thought this was a really interesting article. To think that the rites of passage were happening around us without really noticing it at all. Maybe ever explaining why girls have close bonds, perhaps they're formed over the crossing from girls into womanhood. Perhaps this gives a reason why boys are deamed more independent, but perhaps this means it's not as good as they thought if it's striping boys of their manhood. I'd want to see somekind of article on steps it would take for a boy/man to cross over into his manhood.

Formica, Michael J. Male Initiation in Post-modern Culture26 March 2009. Psychology Today Online. 26 March 2009.
http://blogs.psychologytoday.com/blog/enlightened-living/200903/the-failure-male-initiation-in-post-modern-culture