Poor Fractured Atlas

This essay reflects on masculinity and education in a fractured world. We live in fractious times, and the often-macho tenor of global affairs today contrasts starkly with the technocratic optimism and market integration of earlier decades. Much could be said about this; the essay seeks to provoke reflection rather than offer a single thesis. The theme of masculinity suggests itself: are men and boys as broken as the evidence implies? And – to paraphrase a Silicon Valley motto – are disruptive males moving too fast and breaking too many things? The essay proceeds through concatenated sections exploring conceptual fractures surrounding boys and men, drawing on global examples and German social-scientific concepts. It comprises an introduction and a framing section titled ‘One of the Studies,’ followed by ‘Raising Boys’ and ‘The Biggest Minority,’ and concludes with reflections on education and masculinity’s shifting terrain.