Author presents methods to navigate through "Guyland"

The rules of manhood dictate that men exhibit no feminine behaviors, earn a sizeable paycheck, remain composed in times of crisis and act aggressively from middle-school age through adulthood.

But these rules often create a world in which its other inhabitants — women and men who do not comply with the code — endure adverse, pervasive treatment.

During an on-campus discussion Wednesday night, author Michael Kimmel explained the effects of this code, as defined by another researcher, and provided possible solutions for how men and women could navigate through "Guyland," the intricate, cultural world of young men between the ages of 16 and 26 that Kimmel analyzes in his book of the same title.

Kimmel's appearance, coordinated by Chaplaincy director of arts and education Camisha Jones, was a culmination of the year-long One Book, One Campus initiative, first sponsored by the Office of the Chaplaincy five years ago to compel students, faculty and staff to talk about issues affecting the campus. Thad Williamson, assistant professor of leadership studies, recommended Kimmel's book, "Guyland: The Perilous World Where Boys Become Men," for this year's program.

Kimmel said small groups of Richmond students, faculty and staff had read and discussed the book during the last year, including resident assistants with their residents, fraternities with their pledge classes and professors with their students.

Guyland first materialized because the transition period between childhood and adulthood had lengthened during the previous 200 years, Kimmel said. Five requirements must be met for a child to become an adult - he or she must leave the family home, complete his or her education, get a job, get married and have a child. During the 19th century, most people completed all five actions by age 21 or 22. Now, most people wait until age 28 or 29. The result is an extended, fixed transition period, Kimmel said.

During this transition period, four factors perpetuate Guyland's influence: an increase in life expectancy causes men to delay commitment to another person; changes in the economy and labor force allow men to alter their jobs and careers constantly, so they often move laterally instead of vertically through the work force; the vacuum that is created when students depart from overbearing parents to the relative lawlessness of college causes repeated attempts by men to prove their masculinity to their peers; and women entering the workforce in droves cause men to develop a defensive resistance and feel as though women are intruding on their space.

Kimmel said these factors caused young men to constantly feel as though they must prove their worth to other men and engage in gender policing — taking away another's manhood through belittling comments. One result is that men feel obligated to "hook up" with women, which Kimmel said was the dominant form of sexual expression on college campuses.

"A lot of these tendencies come from the what occurs at the lodges, where men have the power and assert this power in their quest for the 'perfect hook-up,' said sophomore Robert Drewry, one of Williamson's students. "And of course this occurs within the presence of alcohol, and binge drinking."

Drewry said that it may be possible to change the behaviors of men if women alter their role in Guyland.

"If girls can be more assertive in their roles and not give in to what men want at parties or wherever else it is encountered, men will start to change the way they act, hopefully," Drewry said. "There are plenty of ways to have a great time at parties without subjecting yourself to being that girl who ever guy wants to talk about, with his guy friends, the next day."

Kimmel cited a study that found that 20-25 percent of all college women are victims of attempted or completed sexual assaults — almost half of those by someone they were dating.

Because of the pervasive effects of Guyland, Kimmel emphasized the need for people to understand how to navigate through it. He said young men who successfully made their way through Guyland were often made more resilient by a charismatic adult who understood them, a male friend to whom he did not need to prove his manliness and female friends with whom he did not have sexual relationships. He said that the answers to the problems created by the Guyland would ultimately come from young people.

Drewry said that he did not see Guyland invading the Richmond campus, because he had not heard of men constantly engaging in behaviors described in Kimmel's book.

Applying Kimmel's solutions to Richmond, Williamson said that while lectures can galvanize support for a cause and adults can provide guidance to young people, students must develop into leaders and discuss issues among themselves.

Glyn Hughes, director of Common Ground, said students interested in solutions to the problems discussed in "Guyland" have numerous opportunities to join groups, such as UR Men 4 Change and Student Alliance for Sexual Diversity, that confront the issues. Hughes said that while the issues of "Guyland" are daunting, it is not unlike recycling, which can seem overwhelming until you begin the task and are encouraged by the participation of others.

"In order for men to change their view of Guyland, it starts with the individual, and spreads to groups," Drewry said. "One individual has to be a leader and create that group who will stand up for what is wrong in Guyland."

Kimmel, a professor of sociology at State University of New York at Stony Brook, is a leading researcher on men and masculinity. He has written more than 10 books about these topics, according to his Web site.

Contact staff writer Jimmy Young at jimmy.young@richmond.edu