The Costs of Male Training
This exercise can be done either by having group members raise their hands as you read the questions, or by having the young men check off the statements on their own. If the group is larger than ten members, you might have them stand up – silently – for each statement that applies to them. This can have a dramatic effect on the group.
- Have you ever worried you were not tough enough?
- Have you ever exercised to make yourself tougher?
- Have you ever been disrespected by an adult?
- Have you ever been called a wimp, queer, or fag?
- Have you ever been told to act like a man?
- Have you ever been hit by an older man?
- Have you ever been forced to fight?
- Were you ever in a fight to prove you were a man?
- Have you ever been deliberately physically injured by another person? 10. Have you ever been injured on a job?
- Have you ever been deliberately physically injured and hid the pain or kept it to yourself?
- Have you ever stopped yourself from showing affection, hugging, or touching another man because of how it might look?
- Have you ever been arrested?
- Have you ever got so mad that you drove too fast or lost control of the car?
- Have you ever drunk alcohol or taken other drugs to cover your feelings or hide pain?
- Have you ever felt like blowing yourself away?
- Have you ever hurt another person physically or sexually?
From Young Men’s Work by Alan Creighton and Paul Kivel © 1995 by the Oakland Men’s Project. All rights reserved. Reproduction for personal, group or class use is permissible.
For information about books and other training and curricular materials or for feedback or questions about this exercise contact Paul Kivel at 510-654-3015 or at pkivel@mindspring.com . Other resources are available at www.paulkivel.com.
Resource Information
- Resource Type:
- Exercise
- Toolkit Sections:
- Get to Work
- Toolkit Sub-Sections:
- Get to Work - Work with Young Men
