Monitor on Psychology - June 2012 - (Page 53)

Drs. Ramel L. Smith, William Seymour and Hector Torres want to “remove the aspects of strength that get [men] in trouble,” Smith says. W illiam Seymour, PhD, was raised in a well-off white family in the small, conservative town of Elkhorn, Wis. Ramel L. Smith, PhD, an African-American, grew up streetwise in Milwaukee. Hector Torres, PsyD, grew up gay in Puerto Rico. Despite their very different experiences of boyhood, the three psychologists have at least one thing in common: a mission to redefine American masculinity. According to the trio, all members of APA’s Div. 51 (Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinity), American society socializes boys and men to conform to a definition of masculinity that emphasizes toughness, stoicism, acquisitiveness and self-reliance. And that, they say, leads to aggressive, emotionally stunted males who harm not just themselves but their children, partners and entire communities. To address these issues, the trio has launched an awareness campaign plus a pilot program that brings middle school and high school-aged boys of different ethnicities together in eight weeks of facilitated discussions. Their goal? To teach boys and men to keep what’s positive about traditional masculinity while jettisoning what’s bad. “We want to teach men how we can remain positively assertive while removing negative aggression,” says Smith, a 53 JUNE 2012 • MONITOR ON PSYCHOLOGY Mark Hines

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Monitor on Psychology - June 2012

Monitor on Psychology - June 2012
Letters
President’s column
Contents
From the CEO
Give an Hour founder is one of Time magazine’s ‘most influential’
APA treatment guidelines panels are being formed
APA supports ‘Speak Up For Kids’
In Brief
Time Capsule
Random Sample
Judicial Notebook
Questionaire
APA honors Howell
Science Watch
Science Directions
What you should know about online education
Speaking of Education
Psychologist Profile
Redefining masculinity
Miscarriage and loss
Something for everyone
Candidates weigh in
Division Spotlight
American Psychological Foundation
Personalities

Monitor on Psychology - June 2012