The author of The End of Men? and Centre for Public Christianity executive director Simon Smart. Photos: Supplied.
The Riverina Anglican College (TRAC) is set to host a free event to address modern male dilemmas and how to help boys become their best selves.
The author of The End of Men? and Centre for Public Christianity executive director Simon Smart will speak at the event on Thursday (13 March) at the Riverina Playhouse Theatre.
Mr Smart’s book is about the plight of boys and men today in an increasingly complex and confusing environment. The book asks, “What does it mean to be a good man today? How do we go about creating spaces that increase the likelihood of boys growing into men you’d want to be around if you were a child, a teenager, a woman, or another man?”
It also addresses how boys are struggling and falling behind girls in education and health outcomes, as well as employment prospects.
Mr Smart says the messages boys are receiving about what it is to be a male are often bewildering and negative.
TRAC Chaplain Gareth Tyndall said the school was hosting these ‘traction events’ to engage more broadly with the community beyond students and parents and get a grip on some tricky issues.
“One of the big issues facing our community at the moment is the transition of boys into manhood and the concerns around adolescence,” Chaplain Tyndall said.
“So far, we’ve had one event already. Since last year, we’ve been holding what we call Stretch Days for Year 12 students — similar to a tertiary setting.
“We take them to the Playhouse Theatre, where they hear from speakers like Simon Smart, among others. These presenters offer insights into their areas of expertise.”
Chaplain Tyndall said there was a significant need in the community to support boys who might be feeling adrift.
“Many of them struggle with societal pressures and terms that can feel alienating — phrases like ‘toxic masculinity’ or ‘failure to launch.’ Parents are anxious about these issues,” he said.
“Boys themselves feel the pressure, too. They’re uncertain about their identities as they transition into adulthood.
“Simon has done a lot of thinking in this space and spoken to several adolescent research experts for his book The End of Men?
“The book title has a question mark, but he hopes it isn’t the end of men.”
The End of Men? Photo: Supplied.
Chaplain Tyndall hopes parents will leave the event with the message that their situation is not hopeless and that there is hope for our boys.
“Many boys lack clarity about what it means to be a man, and we want to offer them insight, particularly into how Jesus lived. His life was about using his strengths, talents, and circumstances not for his own benefit, but to serve, support, and care for others with sacrificial love,” he said.
“We want boys to understand that using their abilities to serve others is the best way to grow into young men. This will give them a sense of clarity and purpose beyond themselves, knowing that their purpose is to benefit others, not just themselves.
“We hope both the boys and their parents take this message away from the event.”
Chaplain Tyndall said TRAC recently hosted an event with Max Jeganathan – a former policy advisor, lawyer, and Sri Lankan refugee who arrived in Australia when he was just one year old – to discuss his book The Freedom Trap.
“He was someone whose life has been kind of geared around the pursuit of freedom, trying to get away from tyranny and coming to places like Australia,” he said.
“He was well positioned to speak about that, as well as his work in the political field of advising a government as part of the free world. He had a lot to say about freedom.
“We desire freedom, yet we feel increasingly trapped by social media and many other kinds of pressures on our time and on our money, with the cost of living — pressures that make us feel like we’re no longer free.”
The End of Men? with Simon Smart will be on Thursday 13 March at the CSU Riverina Playhouse Theatre from 7:30 to 9 pm.
Click here to register for your free tickets.
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