Male Enrollment Down in U.S. Colleges

Richard Flamm
The Paw Print

There is a certain complexity at work between the genders in our country. It has been a melting, rearranging canvas, and since the 1950s nothing has been the same. Massive societal gains have been made that enfranchise women, bolster racial integration, and bring us closer to that ever-important vision of unity.
However, campuses across the country are reporting disproportionately female numbers, with CNN Money reporting that 60% of bachelor holders in the U.S. are women.  With a women’s week just held on our campus, including an Adventure Program retreat and Harvard speaker, perhaps it is time to also examine the difficulties our male students are facing.
Many male students feel particularly challenged by the cultural mindsets that are thrust upon them. The expectations to be a “provider” and be successful are burdening at an all-time low in our country’s economic health. That ideal of the 1950s “working man” was met with the unparalleled economic prosperity of the post-war era. When we look down on a student who is struggling  to make a career choice we are using this antiquated measuring ruler at a time when reality does not meet the expectations. As we work through a recession after years of massive wealth buildup at the top through the failed trickle down ideology of the past, we are all shoulder to shoulder in the pursuit of gainful employment.
With stereotypes still in place, if meritocracy fails us all, then it fails the man doubly, whose identity is challenged in the face of the mounting pressure of a crippling economy. If feminism makes us equal, then the expectation that the male be the provider is like wanting to have the cake and eat it too.
What then is the reason for lower male rates of graduation? Indeed, it is in part the American expectation that males put their happiness second and other’s needs first. There is an expectation to shut up and soldier on. Certainly, there is a time for this, but it can no longer  be expected that men bear the burden silently. It is no wonder that men experience far higher rates of suicide, and turn to self-medication in the form of drugs and alchohol disproportionately; there is little support for the emotional brokenness that comes with the sense of failure.
If  American society continues to value “tough guy” Clint Eastwood types over how actual human beings function and operate there will be a severe disconnect.
There is a path towards alleviation and reaching out to males. Men have more emotions than anger; behind all anger is hurt. Because of this, a massive gain in our culture would be the gradual tearing down of the social stigma of counseling. Anne Fisher of CNN Money reports, “boys involved in extracurricular cultural activities such as music, art, drama, and foreign languages report higher levels of school engagement and get better grades than other boys. But these activities are often denigrated as un-masculine.” Changing this mentality is a step towards supporting our male students on campus to  prioritize their higher education and well being.