Analysis Of The Child Man In The Promised Land

883 Words2 Pages

Just as girls are pushed into societal standards, a newly invented standard has been introduced for males in society, known as the “child-man” ethic. “Child Man in the Promised Land”, written by Kay S. Hymowitz, is an argument in which the author states that the “child-man” ethic is prevalent and harmful to society. Hymowitz explains this ethic using a variety of supporting evidences, and explains both the implications of the “child-man” ethic, as well as its effects on the next generation. The “child-man” ethic has many social and cultural implications, since this ethic has changed social implications from just 20-30 years ago. Back then, in a man’s late 20s, he was “married… met your wife in high school…you’ve already got one kid, with another …show more content…

Not developing these habits can become harmful later on in life--in social and professional relationships. If an individual has no tolerance, or don’t have good work ethics, chances are that their mentor will recognize this deficiency and might not accept them for jobs. Having patience and good work ethic is not valued in the societal implications of the “child-man” ethic, therefore, this harms the habits and personalities of these individuals. Secondly, the relationships of these “child-men” are altered due to their ethics and their values. Since the majority of these men do not respect women, they do not treat them well—instead, they view women as objects. This view point then makes most of them disrespectful to women as well as feminist movements. Further, their lack of responsibility, as mentioned earlier, makes it difficult for them to take care of a family. They also have a “fear of commitment—another way of saying that they can’t stand to think of themselves as permanently attached to one woman” (367). This fear subsequently leads them to have short-term relationships, and in return they cannot build long-lasting …show more content…

In the previous paragraph I discussed how this ethic affects men, but women are also negatively impacted by this ideology. As I mentioned earlier, “child-men” do not give women respect, and women who might interact with them are hurt by their behavior towards them. “Child-men” are intolerant and unapologetic about their behaviors due to their lack of respect. As a result, women might get verbally and physically abused by these men. This “child-man” behavior can also have a negative impact on their children—if children have fathers who lack responsibility and care, and who don’t care for them mentally and financially, these children can have a rough childhood and might not get the resources that they need. Furthermore, if their fathers have bad morals, these children will not have good upbringing. Children often emulate the morals of their parents, and if their father has these values of laziness, intolerance, and disrespect, they will copy these

Open Document