Men on a Mission provides the first comprehensive study of men who work and volunteer with kids in a variety of public settings. This engaging book brings to life diverse histories and experiences of men who have worked as coaches, teachers, youth ministers, probation officers, Big Brothers, Boys & Girls Club staff, 4-H agents, and the like.Drawing on in-depth interviews with men between the ages of 19 and 65, ethnographic observations, and more than twenty years of research on fathers, William Marsiglio explores the many aspects of male mentorship of youth, including the motivating factors, the effectiveness of differing interpersonal strategies, how the work is perceived, the influences that youth work and fathering exert on each other, the ways in which such volunteerism affects men's personal development, and the impact of social policy and programmatic initiatives. He also highlights timely public debates about the feminization of work with kids, the culture of fear arising from the exploitation of children, public discussions about fatherhood, and community initiatives to help at-risk youth.Situating men's youth work in historical perspective and discussing the status of youth today, this original and groundbreaking analysis offers a forward-looking vision for getting men more involved, and involved more productively, in helping kids thrive.
Preface1. The Mission2. The LandscapeYouth Well-BeingChild and Adolescent DevelopmentToday's Cultural ClimateAcross the DecadesDemographics of Men's Involvement3. Social PlacesPhysical ConditionsTime, Place, and CommunicationPerceptions and SymbolsInstitutions, Norms, and Policy ConstraintsPrivate versus Public PlacesGendered Places4. Men's MotivesTheories of Boys' Early YearsGender and the Boy CodeGetting and Staying InvolvedGiving BackFilling Gaps, Expanding HorizonsGenerativity and ""Passing It On""Reciprocity and Feeling GoodSeeing the Impact, Being Recognized5. Relating to KidsLevelingInviting Comfort, Contact, and TrustThe Power of TouchExpressing BondsRitualsManaging Borders with Kids and Parents6. Managing KidsLetting Kids Know They MatterKeeping It RealBeing Ready: It Can Happen Any TimeManaging Difficult Kids7. Making a DifferencePerceptions of KidsTeaching Life LessonsCreating Chances and ChallengesBuilding Social Capital8. Men and MentoringWhat Is Mentoring?The Mentoring MovementMentoring Programs: Practice and ValueRecruiting MenEvolving Relationships9. Public and Private LivesBlended versus Separate LivesThe Culture of FatherhoodYouth Work as Training for FatheringHow Youth Work Affects FatheringHow Fathering Affects Youth WorkFamily Building and Claiming10. Personal GrowthEmotional States and Styles of FeelingPowers of PerceptionSelf-PerceptionsLife Perspectives11. Youth Work DomainsChildcareSchoolMonitoring Sites and Criminal JusticeRecreationFaith-Based SettingsApplying Lessons across Domains12. Moving ForwardComments on the Cultural ClimateA VisionAppendix A: Reflections on Study Methodology and Future ResearchRecruitment and SampleThe InterviewsFraming, Interpreting, and Judging the InterviewsMaking Sense of the TranscriptsEthnographic ObservationsThe WritingFuture ResearchAppendix B: Participant ProfilesNotesReferencesIndex
""Men on a Mission is an inspiring book and an important one... Marsiglio's work has broader implications for the study of human development in general and for men and masculinity in particular... Particularly valuable as we think about individual lives and social policy.""
