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Mentoring
According to research by M.G.S. Gottfried (2002), What men think other men think and do is one of the strongest determinants of how men act – even when these perceptions and attributes are mistaken. Thus, most men feel uncomfortable with characteristics and attributes of male socialization but falsely think that other men are comfortable with cultural definitions of masculinity.
As much as this is true for men, it is an overwhelming factor in the behavior of middle and high school boys. Boys believe that men and other boys think that studying and doing well in school is a girl thing to do. When they try to live according to their perception of masculinity, they do poorly in school. In Georgia this means that almost 50 percent of boys do not graduate from high school.
The most effective mentor will be able to challenge the perception that it is unmanly to do well in school. That is why Men Stopping Violence (MSV) has developed a program for training mentors to examine and challenge crippling definitions of masculinity, as well as the effects of race and class on young African American males.
MSV teaches college students and others about gender inequality and damaging definitions of manhood in order to increase the effectiveness of their work with teenaged males. The one-day MSV mentor training is a powerful addition to any program working with teenagers and boys.
To learn more about Mentoring and Mentor training possibilities, please contact Yolo Akili at 347.549.9656.
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