Introduction
This is actually a book written by Michael Kimmel and published in 2008. It covers culture for the young men transitioning from the adolescence to adulthood. He in fact interviewed 400 men between 16 to 26 years and observed a certain trend whereby these young men increasingly delayed their adulthood. He notes that in the year 1960, approximately 70% of the American men had by the time they reached 30 years, finished their educations, found themselves a partner and started to work. By comparison, in modern times not more than a third a third of men achieve these milestones by their thirties.
He writes that these young men reluctance to grow up is because they see this life as a loss. Sequentially to avoid adulthood responsibilities, young men retreat into Guyland, which according to Kimmel is a homosocial. Thus, it is a stage of life and a social space where guys come together to become guys, unhassled by parents demands, jobs, kids, girlfriends, among other adult life nuisances. In particular, the young white men feel a certain sense of thwarted entitlement where they believe that minorities and women traditionally have taken away white male positions and jobs.
In modern times, the young adults are actually taking a decade longer in order to complete transition to adulthood than their grandparents and parents did. In fact, a phase which once consisted of not many awkward years has actually evolved into a new developmental stage. This is in fact the adolescence. The increasing economic volatility can be attributed to this cultural phenomenon. Actually, the increasing economic volatility is one of the rules in Guyland holding the boys back from becoming real men. Personal wealth explosion that is experienced by the parents of these generations at their nineties and eighties becomes the only financial safety net that their unemployed or underemployed children can cling to for their support during the great recession business periods.
The security inadequacy has doubtlessly contributed to the postponement of these many young women and men adult responsibilities. The economic and social ramifications of new adolescence have in fact been well documented. These young men with their grandiose visions for the future ahead of them and no understanding of commitment level and diligence they entail enter their adult world being paralyzed with uncertainty and anxiety.
According to Kimmel, in Guyland, these young men shrink off adulthood responsibility and remain fixated on boyhood trappings like sports, excessive drinking, video games, pornography, and depersonalized relationships. In the meantime they normally struggle like heroes to prove their masculinity to their peers. In doing so, these boys or young men conform to code of conduct of Guyland quickly identifying themselves with its engagement rules. Thus, the guy code tells these young men how to do something or act and the young women the way to acquiesce. Therefore, the tough rules of Guyland hold these young men back from becoming full men.
Starting in the middle school, the young men define themselves increasingly based on the portrayal of the media on what it essentially means to be a guy. Consequently, these boys are sold the idea that a particular behaviour set is essentially the distilled manhood essence. These are rapidly adopted and subsequently ruthlessly policed by the other young males. Thus, real men should refrain themselves from the acts of expressing human emotions that are virtuous in nature like gentleness, understanding, and sincerity.
In Guyland, violence usually shows itself through the high school and into the college. Therefore, this violence show itself when these young men are at these educational levels hence this is the time when this self destructive behaviour really persists. This violence in fact emerge in Guyland due to these young men efforts in trying to demonstrate their masculinity without understanding the meaning of adulthood and as a result they engage themselves in irresponsible activities and behaviours. On the other hand, young women also fall victim of the mentioned dehumanizing masculinity vision as well. During their engagement with these young men, they are actually pressurized to adopt ideals which stifle their psychological and emotional progress towards becoming full adults.
The Guyland society on its part fails to seriously treat the violence perpetrators according to how they are supposed to be treated or how they were treated. For instance, this society does not guide these young women and men towards a path of moral integrity, emotional authenticity, and physical efficacy.
Given an opportunity to create a ground swelling cultural shift in Guyland, I would include a number of values in it. Among them there will be as mentioned in the above paragraph the emotional authenticity, moral integrity, re-establish old masculinity norms, and change its current code of ethics in order for it to resemble that of our fore fathers that was better. Guyland would be inhabited by the people of all cultures and ages since its purpose would be that of bringing the entire community together.
References
Kimmel, M. S. (2008). Guyland: The perilous world where boys become men. New York: Harper
Jacobs, Mindelle (October 5, 2011). "Boys will be boys". Edmonton Sun. Retrieved May 14, 2012.
Hannaham, James (September 17, 2008). "Dude, where's my manhood?". [[Salon (website)|]]. Retrieved May 14, 2012.
