Cultural Survival Skills

Boys Need Their Fathers

I was recently at an all-day workshop. A number of work-shops related to psychological principles and therapeutic techniques are required (biennially) to maintain my private practice license.

In these workshops, I often learn as much about the values and philosophies of the lecturer and the attendees as I do about psychological principles and techniques.

The lecturer asked the attendees a question about a diagnosis which historically was given to girls more frequently than boys. She noted this statistical discrepancy and then asked us what we thought the statistics would look like today, in 2015.

A few of us got it right: The diagnosis is now given as often to boys as to girls.

The group speculated that sampling errors or definitional problems could have contributed to these changing statistics.

I knew that what was left-out of the causal discussion was not spoken because it was politically incorrect to do so. I therefore screwed-up my courage and stated the obvious.

I noted that American cultural changes could be responsible, citing the emergence of males who are called “Metrosexuals”. This term does necessarily describe one’s sexual pleasures, but rather refers to males who are more like traditional females in their interests and attention to style, fashion and grooming.

I also noted that increased births to unmarried women and increased divorce rates have led to an increased percent of our male population raised largely by females. I stated that this could be having a significant influence upon the development of  boy’s emotional and behavioral development.

The presenter politely said, “I can agree to your first statement”, and attempted to change the subject.

I then politely, interjected a question, “Your not going to agree that births to unmarried women and high divorce rates could be a factor?”

At that moment a “spring-loaded” angry female voice rang-out from the back of the room: “Boys raised by females can be just as healthy! Why don’t you read so and so’s book on this topic?!”

The workshop lecturer quickly asserted that “we should not get distracted by this debate” and the matter was dropped like a proverbial “hot-potato”.

This is just one of many such incidents of political correctness interfering with perceptions and discussions of sociocultural reality I have encountered in educational settings.

It is true that boys raised by single mothers can turn-out fine.  But, as I said in yesterdays blog (Girls Need Their Fathers), the odds are stacked against them and this is not a good thing for boys without fathers or for America.

All that I have learned during my 36 years as a professor teaching child development and child psychopathology (among other courses) as well as my potentially less valid observations as a practicing psychologist comport with the preponderance of research on this topic.

The following is an article written by Dr. James Dobson. Dr. Dobson is a Ph.D.  psychologist, trained in the methods of science and behavior. I can assure you that the fact he is a devout Christian has not blinded him to the strong research findings on this critically important topic. He is a noted expert on family life and parenting.

Please read the following short article and pass it on to others you know.

http://www.charismamag.com/life/men/16874-dr-james-dobson-boys-need-fathers

V. Thomas Mawhinney, Ph.D., 6/12/15

Professor Emeritus Of Psychology, Indiana University South Bend

Health Services Provider in Psychology

Tags: Births To Unmarried Women, Boys Need Their Fathers, Divorce and Children, Dr. James Dobson, Metrosexuals, Political Correctness Among Counselors and Psychotherapists, Political Correctness and Social Issues, V. Thomas Mawhinney Ph.D., VTM

This entry was posted on June 12, 2015 at 5:03 PM and is filed under Boiling the American Frog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.