Childhood, Identity and Masculinity

Childhood, Identity and Masculinity: The Boarding School Boys examines the lives of ten Iranian men who were sent to boarding schools in England during the 1960s and 1970s. Their stories, situated at the intersection of Eastern and Western cultural values, signify their passage to manhood, and highlight the meaning of masculinity then and now. The reflective narratives explore issues of physical and emotional abuse received from administrators and peers, as well as the "man up" motto that pressured them to persevere in the spirit of meeting expectations and becoming a man. Narrated within the context of the traditional role of men in both Iranian and British societies, the book highlights key themes of trauma, survival and resistance, power and privilege, and their impact on the men over their lifespan. The volume offers rich insight into understanding the developmental challenges that adolescent boys face as they attempt to deal with the trauma of separation from their parents, while conforming to strict rules and regulations of boarding school education, and societal expectations of them. The volume will be of interest to scholars of developmental psychology, childhood trauma, education, cultural psychology, men's studies, and gender. Individuals and parents interested in, and considering boarding school education will also find the narratives informative and educational.

Soosan Latham is a former Assistant Dean Executive Education at the Rotman School of Management (Toronto), a J.P. Morgan Human Resources Management practitioner (New York), and most recently Sessional Assistant Professor at York University (Toronto). She is a Cross-Cultural Leadership educator and executive coach. Roya Ferdows is an MBA graduate from Johns Hopkins University with a post Masters in Health Services Administration from George Washington University. After several years working in the corporate world she became a certified Life Coach. She now focuses her time on supporting her clients in Work/Life Balance and developing better leadership and relationship skills.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT INTRODUCTION THE FEMININE DEVALUED, MASCULINITY EVOKED PARADOX OF BOARDING SCHOOL PART I Trauma of the Boy Chapter 1 Mehrdad, The Pecking Order Chapter 2 Hossein, And They Were Gone Chapter 3 Ali, Bi Gham PART II Survival of the Man Chapter 4 Jahanshah, King of the World Chapter 5 Amir, Men Don't Cry Chapter 6 Alireza, All is Good Chapter 7 Siavash, On the Move PART III The Privilege of Power Chapter 8 Ben, Riding the Waves Chapter 9 Morad, Getting it Right Chapter 10 Javad, On My Own IN CONCLUSION Chapter 11 The Healing Journey