Too many young men are aimless, angry and even hopeless. Suicide is now the second-leading cause of death among men aged 25 to 34. Approximately 7 million men between the ages of 25 and 54 are unemployed and, in most cases, not seeking employment. A troubling number are attracted to influencers like Andrew Tate, who champions a crass and chauvinistic vision for masculinity. Male enrollment at college has dropped so much over the past two decades that men now account for only 42% of undergraduate students.
In a recent opinion essay for the New York Times, the sociologists Robert Putnam and Richard Reeves compared what they call our “Boy Crisis” to a similar situation at the turn of the 20th century. Crime and delinquency were on the rise. Childhood poverty was rampant. These trends affected all young people, but they had a disproportionate effect on boys and young men. Putnam and Reeves argue,
Too many boys and young men are unwoven from the fabric of our society. In sociological terms, they lack social capital. This is dangerous for them and for everyone else. These lonely, detached young men can become susceptible to reactionary voices, mostly online, who turn legitimate suffering into dangerous grievances. But it’s important not to confuse the symptoms with the cause, which is disconnection.
A century ago, American society responded to the crisis. Policymakers championed universal public education. New civic organizations were launched, most notably Big Brothers, the Federated Boys’ Clubs, and the Boy Scouts. Team sports proliferated in local communities. Distinctively Christian responses included the growth of local chapters of the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), the formation of Sunday Schools, and some of the earliest forms of modern youth ministries in churches.
Putman and Reeves lament the absence of spaces where boys are taught healthy forms of masculinity, especially from older men. Organizations that once focused upon males have opened the door for female participation. The authors also correctly note that the move to deemphasize gender requirements is asymmetrical, since nearly all organizations founded for young girls continue to exclude boys from participation. Few organizations are helping boys to learn how to be men.
Click Here to Read More (Originally Published at World Magazine)
Nathan is a professor of faith and culture and directs the Institute for Faith and Culture at North Greenville University in Tigerville, S.C. He is the senior fellow for religious liberty for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, is a senior fellow for the Land Center for Cultural Engagement, and is a senior editor for Integration: A Journal of Faith and Learning. He also serves as teaching pastor at the First Baptist Church of Taylors, S.C.