Research shows that it can be difficult for men to hold onto friendships as they age. How can a focus on building community help change this? The educational profession according to this EdWeek article, The Nation’s Teaching Force Is Still Mostly White and Female, reflects that about 77 percent of teachers are women—up slightly from 76 percent in 2012. In primary schools, nearly 9 in 10 teachers are women. In high schools, less than two-thirds are. When I look at the Onward book club pictures shared on social media, the prevalence of women doing this resilience work is very apparent. This is why I want to share this podcast from NPR’s Hidden Brain: Guys, We Have A Problem: How American Masculinity Creates Lonely Men. This podcast looks at “what happens when half the population gets the message that needing others is a sign of weakness and that being vulnerable is unmanly.”
How can we change the culture in our communities and schools to address this issue?