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It is accepted by most that it is appropriate and advantageous for boys to emulate older males and learn from them experientially, either on an individual basis or through organizations such as Boy Scouts, Big Brothers, and so on. These arrangements are accepted, encouraged, and seen as good and positive in almost every area of activity and learning, with the notable exception of sexuality, which society has decreed must be scrupulously avoided. In the last few decades, even physical contact previously considered casual and innocuous has come to be viewed by some as having sexual implications. The almost paranoid necessity for these avoidances has, unfortunately, severely reduced the number of older males who are willing to interact with boys, especially on a one-to-one basis, for fear of exposing themselves to the possibility of suspicions—no matter how unfounded or unsubstantiated—of sexual interest. Furedi and Bristow (2008) documented how “cultural distancing of generations weakens the bonds of community life . . . through policies that encourage the erosion of the older generations in the joint enterprise of socializing youngsters” (p. xiii) and Hayes (2008) noted that “the lack of male role models is of concern” and that “effects on boys are detectable early in life, especially in areas of social development” (p. 502). Thus many boys are unable to find and interact with the male role models and mentors they are seeking and are deprived of the bolstered sense of self-worth and other benefits that such relationships can provide. "It is accepted by most that it is appropriate and advantageous for boys to emulate older males and learn from them experientially" That pesky passive voice again. Accepted by whom? And what is the definition of "experientially"? "These arrangements are accepted, encouraged, and seen as good and positive in almost every area of activity and learning, with the notable exception of sexuality, which society has decreed must be scrupulously avoided." Again the passive voice. Who accepts, encourages, etc. these arrangements? And how does a man teach a boy heterosexuality "experientially"? What are you proposing? Few readers are going to be convinced that men teach boys adult heterosexuality by having sex with them. Avoiding the fact that you are proposing this via slippery and deliverately vague language is not fooling me, nor will it any intelligent reader. The idea will be so outrageous to most as to just dismiss your ideas as half-baked. "In the last few decades, even physical contact previously considered casual and innocuous has come to be viewed by some as having sexual implications." There will always be "some" who'll view things differently. Articulate your points more clearly. Who are these "some" in this instance? Use references. What happened in those last few decades to cause this? "The almost paranoid necessity for these avoidances has, unfortunately, severely reduced the number of older males who are willing to interact with boys, especially on a one-to-one basis, for fear of exposing themselves to the possibility of suspicions—no matter how unfounded or unsubstantiated—of sexual interest. " Do NOT use specific scientific terms like "paranoid" in this kind of context. With no justification you've jumped from a mysterious "some" having an opinion to an "almost... necessity" in the culture. Maybe that's so, but you need to support that with real references, data, or some other substantiation. Are the Boyscouts, Big Brothers or some other group complaining about this difficulty in recruiting leaders? Has this difficulty increased since "the last few decades"? If your subsequent references support your contentions, provide the relevant quotes. (Generally, quotes in an academic paper that are no longer than incomplete sentences are cause for alarm.) "Thus many boys are unable to find and interact with the male role models and mentors they are seeking and are deprived of the bolstered sense of self-worth and other benefits that such relationships can provide." Your "thus" is hardly justified here, because you haven't shown that the youth groups are having substantial (huge) problems in recruiting leaders. |