In the article "How Boys Become Men," Jon Katz gives us some examples to explain why men grow up to be insensitive. Katz points out that boy are supposed to learn how to handle things by themselves and hide their weakness and tears. Boys always pressured to be tough and not allowed showing any emotions and fears. Boys' growing up experiences has prepared their adulthoods, all the attitudes and behaviors. I agree with Katz that boys learn from other boys. However, I believe the most important idea of how boys become men is how adults treat and teach boys different from girls. In addition, boys are hearing messages that they need to be strong and tough from adults even though they are just babies. This might be the main problem that causes men to be insensitive or do not know how to express their own feeling.
Even though I do not have any experiences of how boys become men because I am not a man, I still know that adults treat boys and girls differently since they are born.
For example, if a baby girl dress in pink, people usually says "What a pretty girl" and then hold them very gently. If baby boys dress in blue, they will say "What a strong little boy". Instead of holding them gently, people usually hold a baby boy roughly and move him around. People will still say "What a pretty girl" if the baby boy was dressed in pink. I remember asking one of my four years cousin why he does not pink. We all laugh after he answered with "boys don't wear pink, only girls wear pink and dress."
Dress differently did not affect boys to become men, but the ways that adults treat boys and girls affected the boys to...
Jon Katz
Do you not feel that times are changing? Nurseries are now under strict guidelines that children of both sexes are to be treated equally and more children now than at any other time are attending nursereries at a younger age as women are in the workplace and taking on higher and higher positions. Personally my daughter wears boys clothes which are then passed to her younger brother on most occasions, toys are not gender orientated but available to both and I am certainly not unique in this.
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