The Women's Freedom Network Newsletter
July/August, 2000, Vol. 7, Number 4.

The War Against Boys

(Simon & Schuster) 251 pp.
by Christina Hoff-Sommers

Reviewed by Bruce Kanter

I n her most recent book "The War Against Boys," Christina Hoff Sommers shows how feminist activists have distorted data involving education. Contrary to their claims, it is boys, not girls, who are the underachievers in school. Boys are also doing significantly worse in school. Furthermore, Sommers explains how the English school system which experiences similar problems with boys, seems to be solving them through measures such as male taught all boys schools.

Boys are less committed to school, by the 12th grade they are four times as likely not to do homework, less prepared for class, and girls are more likely than boys to say they want a good education. Many boys are poor readers, there are far more "at risk" boys than girls, and girls are 10% more likely to graduate from college, a gap that is expected to increase. These gaps on who goes to college are significantly greater among poorer income households. The college gap is also extremely large among black households. There are about twice as many black females in college and nearly five times as many black women pursue masters degrees than black men.

While feminist's have emphasized girls greater propensity to attempt suicide, boys are far more likely to successfully commit suicide. For instance, in 1997 boys from five to 24 were over five times as likely to die from suicide. One would think with the educational deficiencies experienced by boys, their clear underachievement, and the apparent success with boys in the English school system, there would be little problem in getting these problems addressed. After all nobody is suggesting to stop trying to help girls, and the bulk of attention has recently been directed at girls.

One of the most interesting opponents of Sommer's finding is David Sadker of American University. Sadker and his late wife, were proponents of all female schools. The suggestion of all male schools would open the door for all female public schools. Apparently since the National Organization of Women has helped block all male-taught (and quite successfully) all boy schools in the black community, advocating single sex schools is now taboo among "girls' advocates."

Sadker's July 31 editorial in the Washington Post is probably indicative as to how the battle to support feminist orthodoxy will take place. Mr. Sadker does his best to ignore the 10% greater graduation rate from college. He claims that "the increase in female enrollment catches headlines because it heralds the first time that females have outnumbered males on campus." In fact they have done far more than enroll more and it is not new. As Diana Furchtgott-Roth points out, women have received more bachelor's and masters degrees since 1983.

He also points out that girls are more likely to dominate two year schools than the Ivy League. However, the 10% graduation gap is for four year colleges, the gap in two year colleges signifies another gender gap in favor of girls.

Sadker introduces a theory that girls higher grades "may be more a reflection of their manageable classroom behavior than their intellectual accomplishments." In other words, the higher grades that are helping more girls get into college (and somehow graduate) may not have been earned. Thus, he is saying if boys are kept out of qualifying for college due to grading bias, this is bias against girls.

In his editorial, Sadker points out that boys do better on standardized tests. However, in Sommers Atlantic Monthly article, which is what Sadker was critiquing in his editorial, she explains why this is true for the SATs. She explained that more "at risk" girls take standardized tests, and the lowest ranking students, who generally do not take the tests, are mostly boys. Sadker points out that these standardized tests are crucial for college acceptance, ignoring the fact that more girls take the tests and go on to college.

Sadker charges Sommer with trying to abandon initiatives to stop gender stereotyping. His justification for this claim is probably based on Sommer's chapter about attempts to change boys, where a workshop performed by the Sadkers was mentioned. In the workshop, the Sadkers failed to interest boys in playing with dolls. According to the Sadker's the boys were unable to "stretch outmoded attitudes." The idea that perhaps the boys' hostility resulted from their actual disinterest in playing with dolls, apparently is beyond consideration. It should be noted that boys do have a fondness for stuffed animals.

Apparently these same elementary school children who are unable to acquire the correct attitudes about doll play, are able to know what life as an adult will be like. Sadker cites a study of Michigan elementary school children which found that far more girls than boys saw advantages to being the opposite sex. He observes, "Children know the score." The children believed men get "better jobs, more money, and definitely more respect." However, in "The War Against Boys," Sommers observes that 14 to 18-year olds had a different view of their own futures. Almost 70% of those who were pessimistic about their future were boys. Remember also that whatever children say, it is boys who are far more likely to kill themselves.

What is the truth about respect, job satisfaction, and wealth? Sadker does not say what he means by respect, but certainly it is men, not women, who are made fun of in almost all forms of the media. As far as job satisfaction, a study presented in an alumni publication of the University of Maryland found the sexes differed in enjoyment in only one category that was studied. Women had more positive feelings about their jobs.

How about wealth? Men are more likely to be homeless, less likely to have health coverage,(1,2) and female headed household net income far exceeds men's, and far more female items are purchased in stores than male items.(3) This, despite the fact that men experience 94% of deaths from work-related injuries(4) and dominate 24 of the 25 worst ranked jobs.(5) Over 95% of those in prison are men, and much of that crime is done to acquire money.

These results come from an era where during most of the time more men have gone to college and done comparable to women in school. It should be re-iterated that girls' unique problems should be continued to be addressed, however, attention to boys is long overdue and needs to be more than getting boys to play with dolls.

Endnotes

1. U.S. Census Statistical Abstract. 1999. Table 185 p. 127.
2. Warren Farrell, "The Myth of Male Power." New York: Simon Shuster. 1993, p. 32.
3. Ibid., p. 33.
4. Warren Farrel, "Women Can't Hear What Men Don't Say." New York: Tarcher/Putnam. p. 238.
5. Farrell, p. 105.

Christina Hoff-Sommers is the author of "Who Stole Feminism?" as well as "The War Against Boys." She is a member of the Board of the Women's Freedom Network, as well as a resident scholar of the American Enterprise Institute.
Warren Farrell, Ph.D. has served on the boards of four national men's and fathers' organizations, and is also the only man in the U.S. to have been elected three times to the Board of Directors of the National Organization for Women (NOW).
Bruce Kanter is a member of Women's Freedom Network and has contributed many articles over the years.