Overview
The book managed to draw significant public attention and media-coverage from several sides of the political spectrum, due to the fact that the topic—of men generally being considered as 'falling behind' in today's society—is shifting more and more into societal, medial and lastly scientific/academic focus. As ever so more works are released on the general matter of the topic itself–since given societal, political and especially nation-wide economical problems arise thereof–the book gathered wide-spread debate, particular analysis as well as broader academic reception because of it.
The work itself points at most of the major societal changes in the past and especially throughout the 20th century, primarily associated with and caused by the Women's rights movement through feminism, which naturally not only more or less crippled men's ability to actually compete in society and so-to-speak 'make something out of themselves', but which in fact severely hampered their actual ability to even maintain their said natural and often wished-for roles as strong leaders and the society's providers for women in general and families in particular in the first place, as well as struggling to properly fulfil their most important role in upbringing of younger generations as fathers in families.
In the book, Reeves argues that the advancement of women's rights and the changing job market, which now values cognitive skills over physical strength, have left some men feeling insecure and uncertain about their place in the world (i.e. without ontological security). [1] The book also highlights the difficulties boys face in education. It suggests that boys are not performing as well academically as girls (with women outperforming men in various academic and professional domains), which can affect their future opportunities and contribute to their overall sense of frustration. It also notes the struggles faced by men in fulfilling their roles as providers and fathers, citing research which says that men in the US are now more likely to feel socially excluded and less likely to be successful after divorce. [2] [3] [4]
Reeves says that these challenges have particularly hit Black men the hardest, as years of higher incarceration rates among Black men have severely limited their prospects in life. Similarly, men without college degrees have experienced declining wages, notable drops in life expectancy, and increased rates of family disruption. [1] He notes that aspects of hypermasculinity promoted by popular culture is off-putting to modern men, [3] and says that efforts towards achieving gender equality should also [5] address the needs and concerns of boys rather than exclusively focusing on girls and women. [1]
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