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Yvettep
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Yvettep
Post Number: 2835
Registered: 01-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, April 18, 2008 - 01:51 pm: | 
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Concern about ne’er do well sons is ancient. In a quote attributed to Socrates by Plato, Socrates laments, "The children now live in luxury . . . and love chatter instead of exercise." Leonard Sax, a family physician and research psychologist, continues this tradition in Boys Adrift, arguing that there is a growing epidemic of unmotivated boys and underachieving young men. Five factors are identified to account for this proposed decline: (1) feminization of education; (2) video games; (3) increased prescription of psychotropic medications that affect the motivational systems of the brain; (4) exposure to endocrine disrupters; and (5) lack of heroic role models.
Excellent and informative references and information are provided, particularly about the impact of the first-person shooter games such as Grand Theft Auto and the strong correlation between the amount of time spent playing these games and the frequency of acts of violence and aggression.
The impact of educational changes on boys is powerfully and persuasively presented. Late cognitive maturation in most boys compared with girls puts boys at risk for failure: first, because girls, on average, may perform better than boys on the same task; and second, because the revised curricula of kindergarten and first grade have become more academic and less experiential. Furthermore, there are excellent references demonstrating that boys learn better in competitive environments, in contrast to the philosophy of some new curricula in which everyone is a winner. Zero tolerance for violence in schools may be further inhibiting the competitive spirit that can help boys succeed.
Most provocative is the author's speculation on the long-term effects among boys taking amphetamine-based medication for attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder. Animal studies demonstrate an association between amphetamines and changes in the nucleus accumbens, related to increased apathy and decreased motivation to act. Although Sax provides a disclaimer about cause and effect with humans, this distinction may be lost on parents.
References to endocrine disrupters, particularly phthalates that may leach into plastic bottles when warm (eg, polyethylene terephthalate), present potentially worrisome implications for the disruption of the endocrine system. Environmental estrogens in widely used pesticides, such as endosulfan, block the action of testosterone and androgen. Using these findings as a starting point, Sax suggests that these chemicals may be causing feminization in male individuals. Accordingly, he recommends that mothers return to the use of glass bottles to feed their infants. However, his example of the increased frequency of children being born with genital abnormalities, such as undescended testicles, may be better explained by more babies being born prematurely and surviving who would have died in the past...
Full book review: http://www.thumperscorner.com/cgi/discus/board-post.cgi?HTTP_REFERER=/179/179.ht ml&action=form
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Jackie
Veteran Poster
Username: Jackie
Post Number: 612
Registered: 04-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, April 18, 2008 - 02:11 pm: |
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Yvettep, this link doesn't lead to the full book review ? |
Jackie
Veteran Poster
Username: Jackie
Post Number: 614
Registered: 04-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, April 18, 2008 - 02:33 pm: |
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This is a topic frequently discussed among my circle of friends. |
Chrishayden
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Chrishayden
Post Number: 6635
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, April 19, 2008 - 10:06 am: |
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Leonard Sax, a family physician and research psychologist, continues this tradition in Boys Adrift, arguing that there is a growing epidemic of unmotivated boys and underachieving young men
(This is what is SUPPOSED to happen. Only the rich and those who serve them need to be motivated. The rest can be mindless drones, sitting around on medication or in jail or on the corner at home.
The "Brave New World" is here.
Ah, you Academics. You spot the problems allright. Then you wait for somebody to do something about it. Nobody is going to do anything about it--especially you bookworms.
Try to keep you and yours from getting caught up |
Yvettep
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Yvettep
Post Number: 2838
Registered: 01-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, April 19, 2008 - 06:38 pm: |
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Ooops! Sorry, Jackie. Trying to do too many things at one time. (When I was supposed to be writing for work, no less LOL) Now for some reason, the JAMA link is asking for a subscription log in. Here is a link to a blog talking about it, though: http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/healthlawprof_blog/2007/12/boys-adrift-unm.html |
Yvettep
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Yvettep
Post Number: 2839
Registered: 01-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, April 19, 2008 - 06:42 pm: |
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Ah, you Academics. You spot the problems allright. Then you wait for somebody to do something about it.
Gee, CHris, what an original indictment of those of us in the ivory tower :-P ! I suppose you poets/writers are better able to "do something about it"???
Seriously, though, this is something I think about a lot. I hope that I am able to eventually move into an academic job that combines my desire to conduct research and be relevant to real life problems. WIsh me luck! |
Abm
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Abm
Post Number: 10042
Registered: 04-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, April 19, 2008 - 09:17 pm: |
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One thing you must include within the calculus of why so many males are struggling is the high divorce rate and increasing single parenting which leads to estrangement of fathers which leads to lots of directionless, distracted, confused, angry and hostile boys. |
Ntfs_encryption
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Ntfs_encryption
Post Number: 3096
Registered: 10-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, April 20, 2008 - 06:09 pm: |
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"One thing you must include within the calculus of why so many males are struggling is the high divorce rate and increasing single parenting which leads to estrangement of fathers which leads to lots of directionless, distracted, confused, angry and hostile boys."
Bro, you just said it all...!!!! There is nothing that could be said nor written that will override the accuracy and gut wrenching irrefutable truth of your commentary. You just diagnosed the cancer of black America. End of subject.....
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