Obama: we need to change the narrative about men
An in-depth podcast conversation featuring Barack and Michelle Obama headlined “Focus on What’s Right About Young Men”, will open up more "space to positively address the challenges of boys and men", according to a leading men's issues expert.
Richard Reeves, President of the American Institute for Boys and Men, has been quick to praise the Obamas for the discussion on the IMO podcast, hosted by Michelle Obama and her brother Craig Robinson and featuring former President of the United States, Barack Obama.
Reeves provides a detailed breakdown of the conversation in his article – Obama on the male malaise – published on his 'Of Boys and Men' substack.
In particular, Reeves says: "we have got to get past the deficit-based framing on this issue, abandon terms like “toxic masculinity” and approach boys and men with empathy and compassion, not blame and shame”.
Here are seven key takeaways from the Obama’s conversation alongside snapshots of Reeves’ commentary.
1. Progressives need to re-frame their narrative on men and boys
Obama: "We're constantly talking about what's wrong with the boys, instead of what's right with them".
Reeves: "The messaging here is absolutely spot-on. Obama’s willingness to scold his own side, and indeed himself, for the mistakes in how they talk about male issues is an important moment."
2. Boys need male role models
Obama: “As a society, we have to create more structures for boys and men to have guidance, rituals, frameworks, encouragement.”
Reeves: “Yes indeed. It takes a village to raise a child. But some of the villagers have to be men. The lack of male teachers is a huge problem.”
3. We need to do a better job of educating boys
Michelle Obama: “There are small numbers of male teachers in high schools. Boys are growing up in an education system where they're mostly surrounded by women. Barack, you've talked about the fact that the entire education system isn't even designed to recognise boys and what they need.”
Reeves: “I wish they’d dug deeper here. I agree, of course, with the Obama assessment that the education system isn’t boy-friendly enough. For me it’s more male teachers, more hands-on learning ... early internships and apprenticeships ... high-dose tutoring, mentoring, more opportunities for movement and play ... we need a lot more research.”
4. The value of men’s groups
Obama: “Having male friends I could talk to and count on was important to my life. And it turns out, actually, what we've learned is our families, our nuclear family was healthier and happier precisely because we had a bunch of friends … the point is, just creating some structures where guys can get together.”
Reeves: “I liked his emphasis on the need to create structures for male solidarity. Male friendships need more structure. So, we should build them, in our own lives and more generally. The Men’s Sheds movement is a great example here.”
5. Men need a stake in a changing economy
Obama: "[A] lot of male identity and status was tied up with being a provider, having a job, doing a good job, coming home. But as a society, we have to make sure that men don't feel redundant and don't feel as if there's not a place for them."
Reeves: "Well, just: Amen, Mr President. We have to shift the conversation from seeing men as being the problem to men as having problems. As I wrote in Of Boys and Men: 'The true cause of the male malaise, I believe, is not lack of labor force participation but cultural redundancy.'"
6. We must support boys in addition to supporting girls
Obama: "We rightly have tried to invest in girls to make sure that there's a level playing field and then they're not barred from opportunities. But we haven't been as willing, I think, to be intentional about investing in the boys. And that's been a mistake - we gotta do better by our boys. And if we do better by our boys and we're producing stronger, more confident men, that's gonna be good for our girls and our women as well."
Reeves: "Indeed. Say that again: “'e haven't been as willing, I think, to be intentional about investing in the boys. And that's been a mistake.' It has been a horrible error, leading to a damaging vacuum in our policymaking, our public conversation, and our politics. Thankfully, more and more people are indeed starting to see that. The chorus of voices from respected leaders and scholars about the challenges of boys and men is of course music to my ears."
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