Helpful Score: 1
Guyland is an interesting and thought-provoking book. Sociologist Michael Kimmel charts Guyland as both a now-extended life stage between adolescence and adulthood and a social arena with its own set of rules and cultural imperatives. Young men, roughly between ages 16 and 26, are now spending more years living in a buddy culture with its "boys will be boys" behaviors (playing video games and sports, boozing, and hooking up)—and emerging less equipped for adult living. An unwritten Guy Code promotes a culture of entitlement, silence, and protection which allows more egregious behavior such as extreme hazing and sexual predation to go unchecked.
While I don't doubt that such a culture exists—sounds a lot like the fraternity scene—I'm not sure it's as pervasive as Kimmel makes it out to be. Most of his subjects are white, middle-class, college-educated. Being of the wrong demographic in multiple ways, I've only personally peripherally brushed upon it. Moreover, since he qualifies many of his findings by saying that most young men aren't fully immersed or resent it, and most will outgrow it, is it such a big problem? However, I found the gender attitudes he uncovered very interesting. Guyland can be seen as an escapist backlash against the erosion of WASPy privilege, whereas most women would feel that men still hold most of the aces. It was also shocking to see that some attitudes, if given the right political and cultural background, can lead to women being forced to veil.
In summary, Guyland was a book I enjoyed because of the thoughts it inspired, although I'm not sure how spot on is the message, or whether Kimmel's proposed solutions would work.
While I don't doubt that such a culture exists—sounds a lot like the fraternity scene—I'm not sure it's as pervasive as Kimmel makes it out to be. Most of his subjects are white, middle-class, college-educated. Being of the wrong demographic in multiple ways, I've only personally peripherally brushed upon it. Moreover, since he qualifies many of his findings by saying that most young men aren't fully immersed or resent it, and most will outgrow it, is it such a big problem? However, I found the gender attitudes he uncovered very interesting. Guyland can be seen as an escapist backlash against the erosion of WASPy privilege, whereas most women would feel that men still hold most of the aces. It was also shocking to see that some attitudes, if given the right political and cultural background, can lead to women being forced to veil.
In summary, Guyland was a book I enjoyed because of the thoughts it inspired, although I'm not sure how spot on is the message, or whether Kimmel's proposed solutions would work.
John O. (buzzby) -
It was interesting, I read most of it, however, I think that Sociology as a science is akin to Astrology. Like many sociologists, he has a need to define his own turf that hasn't been studied ("Guyland") and then repeat lots of pet terms like "entitlement" and "homosocial". He claimed not to be putting "Guyland" down, but you can't help but hear the "tsk, tsk" coming through. He definitely thought that responsible adulthood is the ultimate goal of society (he obviously perceived himself as a member). I guess I was looking for something more upbeat, like "The Man Show" (by the way, Huffington Post says that he is not a "close relation" of Jimmy Kimmel).
Elizabeth R. (esjro) -
In Guyland, a professor of sociology examines the culture of (mostly) white males from high school to age thirty or so. This book's intended audience may have been parents of sons, but as a thirty-something female I found this book fascinating. Boys are physically developing into men faster than their grandparents, but emotionally they are developing much later: I know a number of young men about my age who still behave as though they are in college, and that is the type of guy that this book addresses.
Kimmel does spend some time sympathetically addressing the pressure that young men face, but the majority of chapters focus on undesirable behaviors (rape, binge drinking, hazing) and somewhat normal behaviors taken to testosterone driven extremes (consumerism, pornography, sports fandom.) Although many of the examples are from the media and certainly not representative of most guys, the author does make a convincing case that complicity only helps perpetuate such behaviors. These chapters were fascinating, particularly some of the candid quotations shared with the author. Unfortunately these were fewer than I would have liked.
The final two chapters, which focus on how young women's behavior contributes to the problems of Guyland and suggestions for reforming Guyland are the weakest. The former didn't seem to have a place in this book as there are already far more insightful books written about young women, and the latter had little in terms of concrete suggestions. Instead the author calls for parents and society to be supportive of young men so that they can develop boy scout like values... unfortunately this is easier said than done, and the type of parents and citizens that need to read this book certainly won't.
Despite its faults, this is worth reading if only because there are so few addressing this subject. Though intended for parents of boys, parents of young women would be wise to give this book to their daughters as well, especially if the daughter is planning to join a sorority!
Kimmel does spend some time sympathetically addressing the pressure that young men face, but the majority of chapters focus on undesirable behaviors (rape, binge drinking, hazing) and somewhat normal behaviors taken to testosterone driven extremes (consumerism, pornography, sports fandom.) Although many of the examples are from the media and certainly not representative of most guys, the author does make a convincing case that complicity only helps perpetuate such behaviors. These chapters were fascinating, particularly some of the candid quotations shared with the author. Unfortunately these were fewer than I would have liked.
The final two chapters, which focus on how young women's behavior contributes to the problems of Guyland and suggestions for reforming Guyland are the weakest. The former didn't seem to have a place in this book as there are already far more insightful books written about young women, and the latter had little in terms of concrete suggestions. Instead the author calls for parents and society to be supportive of young men so that they can develop boy scout like values... unfortunately this is easier said than done, and the type of parents and citizens that need to read this book certainly won't.
Despite its faults, this is worth reading if only because there are so few addressing this subject. Though intended for parents of boys, parents of young women would be wise to give this book to their daughters as well, especially if the daughter is planning to join a sorority!
John O. (buzzby) -
Makes me glad I'm not heterosexual, those guys have it pretty tough. (By the way, per the Huffington Post, Michael Kimmel is not a close relation of Jimmy Kimmel).
