Questions for Raising Cain book chapter 1-3 | Homework Essay Helpers

Help me study for my English class. I’m stuck and don’t understand.

The attached file is chapter 1-3 of Raising Cain book

Answer each questions below at least 300 words.

1. According to Dan Kindlon, “too many boys fall into the trap of embracing the image of stoic masculinity they see in the mainstream media.” In Chapter 1, Kindlon and Thompson talk further about popular culture’s role in “the emotional miseducation of boys.” This week I have given you two videos that consider the way the media presents gender stereotypes. Write a post reflecting on the ideas in any of these videos and/or in Raising Cain about the way that popular culture and the media perpetuate gender stereotypes. Feel free to bring up other examples of gender stereotypes in the media. Can you think of any movies, TV shows, commercials, popular songs, etc., that either perpetuate gender stereotypes or offer an refreshing alternative to the gender stereotypes we so often see in the media?

2. Kindlon and Thompson quote a second-grade teacher who said, “We expect too much of boys—and we don’t expect enough.” What did this teacher mean? In what ways do we expect too much? In what ways do we not expect enough? How can you relate this idea to any of the examples in this chapter (or other chapters)? What, for example, does it have to do with their discussion of the “wild animals and entitled princes” archetypes? Can you relate it at all to your own experience? What do you think of the idea?

3. In the preface, Kindlon and Thompson say that boys are in emotional pain because they are “in pursuit of a caricature of strong, silent masculinity” (ix). What does caricature mean, and what do you think Kindlon and Thompson are talking about here? How do the ideas, information, and examples in the Introduction and the first three chapters help you understand this idea? For example, you might relate this idea to what Kindlon and Thompson say about our culture’s distortions of “the most impressive qualities a boy can possess”; or you might relate it to what the authors call the “rigid ideals of manhood” or “the emotional miseducation of boys” or the “stereotypic images of masculinity” that are found in the media. Virtually everything in this book is related in some way to the idea that the image of masculinity boys emulate is a caricature, so there are many different connections you might make.

4. Early in Chapter 1, Kindlon and Thompson say, “A boy is left to manage conflict, adversity, and change in his life with a limited emotional repertoire. If your toolbox contains only a hammer, it’s not a problem as long as all your equipment is running right or repairs call only for pounding. But as tasks grow more complex, the hammer’s limitations become clear.” Explain this metaphor. How can you relate it to any of the other ideas or information in Chapter 1?

5. In Chapter 3, Kindlon and Thompson argue against harsh punishment. Discuss, explain, and evaluate their argument. What evidence do they present that harsh punishment is counterproductive? How convincing is this evidence? How do you think that proponents of harsh punishment might respond to their arguments?

6. In “But Is She Likable Enough?” Jessica Bennett discusses what is sometimes called “the likability trap” (Links to an external site.) for women in politics or in positions of leadership or authority. In unconscious ways, people have expectations of women that are incompatible with these roles. Discuss these expectations that we have of women, and compare them to the expectations we have for men and boys. Use evidence from Raising Cain, “But Is She Likable Enough?” and your own observations and experience. Can you think of any subtle, unconscious ways that women, men, boys, and girls limit or alter their behavior in order to conform to gender expectations?