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Figure 2
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Identity
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1982-84 CPI Adjusted Dollars 300
Copyright (c) 2023 Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers. Uncorrected proofs have been used for this sample chapter.

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1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics fred.stlouisfed.org
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employed full time: Median usual weekly real earnings: Wage and salary workers: 16 years and over: Women
[LES1252882800Q], retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/LES1252882800Q, June 8, 2022.
Note: Shaded areas indicate U.S. recessions.
The guidelines themselves argue that close of the day. Especially in fatherless homes,
“ traditional masculinity ideology” — defined female-dominated elementary-school experiences
as socializing boys toward “anti-femininity, often mean that boys are exposed to few — if
achievement, eschewal of the appearance of weak - any — male role models, and male restlessness is
ness, and adventure, risk, and violence” — has therefore viewed almost entirely as a problem to be
been shown to “limit males’ psychological develop- solved rather than a potential asset to be shaped.
ment, constrain their behavior, result in gender role It is interesting that in a world that otherwise
strain and gender role conflict,” and negatively teaches boys and girls to “be yourself,” that rule
influence mental and physical health. often applies to everyone but the “traditional”
Yet as we survey a culture that is rapidly male who has traditional male impulses and char -
CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING attempting to enforce norms hostile to traditional acteristics. Then, they’re a problem. Then, they’re
You could ask students to explain French’s masculinity, are men flourishing? And if men are often deemed toxic. Combine this reality with a
implied answers to the rhetorical questions struggling more the farther we move from those new economy that doesn’t naturally favor physical
that he poses in paragraph 13. They could traditional norms, is the answer to continue strength and physical courage to the same extent,
then describe how the questions are a pur- denying and suppressing a boy’s essential nature? and it’s easy to see how men struggle.
poseful rhetorical choice. You could extend Male children are falling behind in school not As I’ve argued before, acculturation into 15
this discussion by asking them whether because schools indulge their risk-taking and healthy traditional masculinity used to be
their answers are the same as his implied adventurousness but often because they relent- a far more natural and inevitable act. Even upper-
ones and whether French’s method is lessly suppress boys and sometimes punish boys’ class men had to learn to work (at least to some
effective or not. 302 essential nature, from the opening bell to the degree) with their hands; to earn a living,

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DIFFERENTIATION
Connections to Text
Students might find it interesting to discuss
French’s use of the phrase “healthy traditional
masculinity” (par. 15). Some of the other
sources in this Conversation might claim that
there is no such thing. You might have them
compare French’s definition in this section to
the timeline that Meyerson presents (when
she summarizes Bederman): what era corre-
sponds best to French’s definition? “Healthy”
for whom?

302 chapter 4 / Identity

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