A New Playbook For Raising Boys

A New Playbook For Raising Boys

From Embodied by WUNC

April 23, 2026 · 50 min

About this episode

Ruth Whippman and Neil Levine discuss their journey to raise emotionally intelligent boys in the context of modern challenges and the #MeToo movement.

When the #MeToo movement exploded in 2017, journalist Ruth Whippman — nearly nine months pregnant with her third son — experienced a profound conflict. As a feminist, she celebrated the movement; as a mother, she worried: "How am I gonna raise these boys to be good?" This tension launched Ruth on a quest to understand modern American boyhood and what's not working. Ruth and her husband Neil Levine tell Anita about their journey of putting Ruth’s research into practice, working to give their sons the emotional tools to thrive in a changing world — and what’s at stake if we don’t shift our approach to raising boys. Meet the guests: - Ruth Whippman is the author of " BoyMom: Reimagining Boyhood in the Age of Impossible Masculinity " - Neil Levine is Ruth's husband Read the transcript | Review the podcast on your preferred platform Follow Embodied on Instagram Leave a message for Embodied Please note: This episode originally published May 8, 2025.

People in this episode

Host: Anita

Guests: Ruth Whippman, Neil Levine

Topics covered

  • raising boys
  • feminism
  • emotional tools
  • modern boyhood
  • parenting
  • gender roles

Keywords

  • boyhood
  • parenting
  • emotional intelligence
  • masculinity
  • gender
  • feminism
  • child development

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Embodied, WUNC

Books & works: BoyMom: Reimagining Boyhood in the Age of Impossible Masculinity

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