Why boys and men are struggling in America

Why boys and men are struggling in America

From It Turns Out by Kara Miller

February 3, 2026 · 55 min · Season 1 · Episode 8

About this episode

The episode discusses the struggles faced by boys and men in America, exploring educational, labor, and mental health issues.

Why have so many boys and men fallen behind in America? Boys are behind girls in K-12 education. They are behind girls in getting to college - and staying in college. Millions of prime-age men are missing from the labor force. And men die deaths of despair - suicide and overdoses - at much higher rates than women. Richard Reeves talks about what has shifted culturally for men. How do you turn this around? Why do these issues affect even upper-class boys? How has this issue hurt Democrats - and what can they do about it? Reeves is the author of "Of Boys and Men," the founding president of the American Institute For Boys and Men, and a senior fellow at Brookings. Did you know you can also watch the show? Subscribe to the show on YouTube!

People in this episode

Host: Kara Miller

Guest: Richard Reeves

Topics covered

  • education
  • gender issues
  • mental health
  • labor force
  • cultural shifts

Keywords

  • boys
  • men
  • education
  • labor force
  • deaths of despair
  • cultural shifts
  • Richard Reeves

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: American Institute For Boys and Men, Brookings

Books & works: Of Boys and Men

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