Darryl (a sixteen year old, 5’10” Black teen) is playing ball with a group of boys on the basketball court near his home. His friend, Carla, is walking by with a couple of her friends. She seems to be calling over to him. He sees her—but doesn’t walk over to say hello, even though they are ‘close’ friends.
Photographic image: A Boy on a Basketball Court
The outlets for an inner city male to prove his masculinity are few; demonstrating athletic prowess is one outlet. The fantasy of becoming the big time pro is important and vital to the self image of this young man. If he is gifted or good, he may be picked by the big guys for their team. But more than likely, he won’t be chosen. How does he deal with this disappointment?
All males during early adolescence need a healthy body image. They need knowledge about puberty and what all these changes will mean for their adulthood. The question which arises most often is, “Am I normal?” Will I be like my father or older brothers? Will my penis be the right size? Will I be strong? Will I make the team when I get to high school? Will I be able to father a child?
The physiological changes which occur will be accompanied by both psychological and social changes. The first changes will occur internally with the increase of sex specific hormones; these affect not only the onset of secondary sex characteristics but also behavior. He may experience mood swings, become more egocentric, appear depressed and desire more privacy.
At this time the early adolescent often goes through a period of low self esteem because he is in a never-never land, not an adult and not a kid. He is in transition. Unsure of the future, he wonders: will I be tall or short, will these blemishes go away, and most importantly, will I be attractive to the opposite sex?
If he demonstrates athletic prowess and is accepted as part of the team, he has to learn now to be a part of a group. As a team or group member he finds that there is a pecking order and as the newest member, he may very well find himself at the bottom of the heap. This may be hard internally while being expressed externally as, “Hey, I’m one of the guys.”
As a member of a gang, group or team, the adolescent boy finds acceptance, sources of authoritative information, a feeling of strength and a sense of belonging. This in many ways prepares him to become a part of groups in the labor market, social setting, and recreational athletic teams that can constitute life long activities.
Usually as part of group membership, the adolescent will find some very special friends with whom he can develop closer relationships based on mutual desires and needs. Here he finds confidants to talk to about private and special things, and comrades to make decisions with. He begins to separate from his biological family as the most important source of information and guidance. Often the group is used as his bridge to independence; parents may hear a frequent refrain, “the guys said . . . .”, implying that what the guys say is gospel and not to be doubted.
Through no fault of my own I reached adolescence. While the pressure to prove myself on the athletic field lessened, the overall situation got worse—because now I had to prove myself with girls. Just how I was supposed to go about doing this was beyond my, especially because, at the age of 14, I was four foot nine and weighed 78 pounds. (I think there may have been one ten year old girl in the neighborhood smaller than I.) Neverless, duty called, and with my ninth grade gym class jock strap flapping between my legs, off I went.”
Julius Lester, “Being a Boy”
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Suggested Classroom Strategy
After viewing the slide and/or reading the vignette, students might:
Debate the following statement:
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Sports: the need to participate in sports is more important for boys than for girls.
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The teacher will act as moderator and coach. The teacher will spend 5-10 minutes with each side (three participants who agree, three who disagree). Allow each side six minutes to present their points of view (two minutes each). Allow five minutes for questioning and refuting. Allow leader of each team time to summarize main points.
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Have the class vote on which side is the winner. Votes and comments explaining individual decisions will be tallied by the moderator and used for closing discussion.
or, Complete a Compare and Contrast Writing Assignment.
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You may wish to use additional photographic images showing boys in other activities: A Boy Running Alone on a Track
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Two Boys playing Backgammon
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A group of Boys just hanging out
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Ask the students to describe the activity each boy in the image is involved in. Explain this involvement may be important to his identity. Explain how this activity may change his role in the family.
