| Learning Objective #1: Question the uncritical acceptance of existing male gender paradigms as a basis for practice with male adolescents | |||
| Learning Objective #2: Identify alternative practice techniques that will allow adolescent males to end their silence and have voice |
Abstract
Objective: The objective of this phenomenological study was to use the social structure of high school as means of expression to give rise to the voices of adolescent males in describing their lived experience during a time line in their adolescent development.
Design: A phenomenological methodology was employed that held to the phenomenological spirit of openness, seeking only to discern the necessary and essential meanings and attributes of the lived experience that emerged from the rich narrative data.
Population: Whereas the phenomenological method is one of depth rather than breath a purposeful sample of 10 adolescent males participated in the study.
Method: This study used the existential phenomenological method as described by Giorgi. Through a process of discrimination, transformation, and synthesis of rich narrative data the core concepts of the generalized structure of the experience were identified
Findings: Four major themes emerged from the generalized structure. These were themes of agency, communion, ideology and contamination/redemption.
Conclusions: During the early high school years the participants had difficulty adjusting and used tremendous psychic energy to maintain emotional stability. Adults often expected more “grown-up” behavior than the boys were capable of. The boys had a much different idea about achievement than adults who were able to see the future more skillfully. The nurturing and caring that went on between the boys in this study and their friends represented atypical intimacy. Themes of communion, usually associated with female traits were far more prevalent in the narratives than were themes of agency, more often associated with males.
Implications: This study has implications for both practice and research. The data suggests that the uncritical acceptance of traditional gender labels to describe behavior is counterproductive. New practice and research paradigms for this population need to be explored.
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