Researcher discusses gap between male adolescence, adulthood
Somewhere between growing up too fast and never growing up lies ‘GuyLand.’
Michael Kimmel, a researcher on men and masculinity, spoke Thursday in Room 001 of the Life Sciences Complex to outline the research findings from his book, ‘GuyLand: The Perilous World Where Boys Become Men.’
Through his research, Kimmel discovered a new stage of development that has emerged between childhood and adolescence, spanning a decade and often not ending until men hit their 30s. He coined the stage ‘GuyLand.’
Kimmel’s research is based on about 400 interviews, mostly with white middle-class males.
Four factors account for why GuyLand is emerging now: a longer life span and more time to pass through the five major milestones of adolescence; permanent jobs being less common; parents who tend to ‘micromanage’ children; and changes in women’s lives, Kimmel said.
‘GuyLand remains a very gender-unequal stage of development,’ Kimmel said.
In 1904, most young people crossed the five major development milestones — education, jobs, marriage, kids and moving out of their parents’ house — by the time they turned 19, Kimmel said.
The most important reason for GuyLand is the changes in women’s lives, Kimmel said. Females now feel entitled to sexual pleasure, which may make men feel unbalanced, Kimmel said.
Because the definition of femininity has evolved while men’s sexuality remains largely fixed, men often feel compelled to ‘police each other,’ Kimmel said.
Violating this code of conduct may have social repercussions, such as being labeled ‘gay,’ which is usually intended to diminish masculinity, Kimmel said.
Fear of receiving the ‘that’s so gay’ comment keeps men silent, Kimmel said.
In return for the silence, men are compensated with the acceptance to a fraternal bond, in which they constantly need to prove their worth. A ‘bros before hoes’ mentality helps to perpetuate this behavior, Kimmel said.
GuyLand is not going away, but there are ways to approach it more ethically, Kimmel said. Bringing more men into the conversation and addressing issues like sexual violence together with women is one approach, Kimmel said.
Another is locating like-minded men and organizing groups, such as A Men’s Issue, the campus organization that sponsored the event.
Kimmel’s lecture concluded with a White Ribbon Campaign pledge taken by the men in the auditorium, vowing to ‘never commit, condone or remain silent about violence against women and girls.’
The White Ribbon Campaign started March 25 and stems from a mass murder of 17 feminist women in Montreal 20 years ago, said a Vera House representative who spoke at the end of the lecture. The Vera House advocates for ending domestic and sexual violence, according to its website.
Past and current members of A Men’s Issue were asked to stand up in an effort to acknowledge that men are already part of the battle.
Seth Finkelstein, co-president of A Men’s Issue, introduced Kimmel and presented him with a T-shirt. The group advocates against sexual violence and tries to redefine conventional notions of masculinity. A Men’s Issue organized the event, along with the R.A.P.E. Center, Vera House, Students Advancing Sexual Safety and Empowerment, and Pride Union, Finkelstein said.
Lous DiFazio, co-president of A Men’s Issue, said the event was successful and a testament to what the group can do together.
‘I hope people will start to think about GuyLand more and how it might affect them and others,’ he said. ‘Similar to what Dr. Kimmel says, we need to experience GuyLand more consciously.’
Published on March 27, 2011 at 12:00 pm
