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When Judy Y. Chu first encountered the four-year-old boys we meet in this book, they were experiencing a social initiation into boyhood. They were initially astute in picking up on other people's emotions, emotionally present in their relationships, and competent in their navigation of the human social world. However, the boys gradually appeared less perceptive, articulate, and responsive, and became more guarded and subdued in their relationships as they learned to prove that they are boys primarily by showing that they are not girls. Based on a two-year study of boys aged four to six

Based on a two-year study that followed boys from pre-kindergarten through first grade, When Boys Become Boys offers a new way of thinking about boys' development. Through focusing on a critical moment of transition in boys' lives, Judy Y. Chu reveals boys' early ability to be emotionally perceptive, articulate, and responsive in their relationships, and how these "feminine" qualities become less apparent as boys learn to prove that they are boys primarily by showing that they are not girls.Chu finds that behaviors typically viewed as "natural" for boys reflect an adaptation to cultures that require boys to be stoic, competitive, and aggressive if they are to be accepted as "real boys." Yet even as boys begin to reap the social benefits of aligning with norms of masculine behavior, they pay a psychological and relational price for renouncing parts of their humanity.Chu documents boys' perceptions of the obstacles they face and the pressures they feel to conform, showing that compliance with rules of masculinity is neither automatic nor inevitable. This accessible and engaging book provides insight into ways in which adults can foster boys' healthy resistance and help them to access a broader range of options as they seek to connect with others while remaining true to themselves.Read the author's blog on Psychology Today

This article presents a new scale to measure adolescent boys'internalization of masculine norms as evidenced by their attitudes and beliefs about what constitutes appropriate behavior for males within interpersonal relationships. Framing masculinity ideology within a relational paradigm, the theoretical foundations of the Adolescent Masculinity Ideology in Relationships Scale (AMIRS) emphasize that it is through and within relationships that masculine norms become personally meaningful and directly consequential to adolescent boys. Designed specifically for use with adolescents, the AMIRS derives from adolescent boys'narratives about their perceptions and experiences of masculinity, particularly in their peer relationships. Correlation and regression analyses indicate a negative association between the AMIRS and self-esteem, suggesting the double-edged sword of masculinity. That is, despite the advantages of status, alignment with hegemonic masculinity may hinder adolescent boys' psychological health, for instance, by limiting the ways that they are able to express themselves and engage in their interpersonal relationships.

Frontmatter -- Contents -- Foreword -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- Part I. Identity Development -- 1. Hmong American Masculinities -- 2. Frames of Self -- 3. Boys in Men's Clothing -- 4. A Relational Perspective on Adolescent Boys' Identity Development -- Part II. Family Relationships -- 5. Experiences of Trust with Parents -- 6. Psychological Well-Being, School Adjustment, and Problem Behavior among Chinese Adolescent Boys from Poor Families -- 7. The Role of Father Support in the Prediction of Suicidal Ideation among Black Adolescent Males -- Part III. Friends and Peers -- 8. Intimacy, Desire, and Distrust in the Friendships of Adolescent Boys -- 9. Peer Relationships among Chinese Boys -- 10. The Influence of Peer Experiences on Bravado Attitudes among African American Males -- Part IV. Sexuality and Romantic Relationships -- 11. Getting Close, Staying Cool -- 12. Adolescent Boys' Heterosexual Behavior -- 13. Boy-on-Boy Sexuality -- Part V. Schooling -- 14. Immigrant Boys' Experiences in U.S. Schools -- 15. Understanding the Exceptions -- 16. From Preschool to Middle School -- About the Contributors -- Index