UW-River Falls to host author's discussion of challenges boys and men face

Richard Reeves’ book notes problem, seeks to find solutions  

Oct. 25, 2023 - Richard Reeves, best-selling author and president of the American Institute for Boys and Men, will discuss problems faced by males and will advocate for effective solutions during a Wednesday, Nov. 15, visit to the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.

Reeves will discuss his 2022 book “Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male is Struggling, Why It Matters and What to Do About it,” at 7 p.m. in the Riverview Ballroom in the University Center, 501 Wild Rose Ave., River Falls. The event is sponsored by the Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership. 

The event is free and open to the public; however, registration is encouraged. To register, visit https://uwrf.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0kWyHx9lfUvA5Su. Upon registration, information will be provided for livestream access for those who wish to attend the event virtually, along with the event location and parking information for people attending in person.

Reeves’ latest book seeks to address why the modern male is struggling and presents strategies to combat that problem. In “Of Boys and Men,” he details how changes in the education system, the economy, societal views of masculinity and fatherhood have combined to create an environment in which a growing number of boys and men perform poorer than girls and women academically and in other areas. 

The book was described by The New York Times as a “landmark” work and was named a book of the year by The Economist and The New Yorker. 

Women/girls historically have faced unequal treatment compared to their male counterparts. Advancements in women’s rights have occurred in recent decades, and society must ensure that both sexes have success concurrently, UW-River Falls Chancellor Maria Gallo said. 

“It is important to note that discussing men’s and boy’s struggles does not reduce the continued need to address obstacles that women and girls face,” Gallo said. “As a university, we are seeking to provide a better understanding of these complex issues so that solutions are found.”

Reeves is a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. where he previously directed the Future of the Middle Class Initiative and the Center on Children and Families. He previously worked as director of strategy to the United Kingdom’s Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg from 2010-12, and as principal policy advisor to the United Kingdom’s minister for welfare reform. He also worked as director of the political think tank Demos and was social affairs editor at The Observer and economics correspondent for The Guardian. 

In 2017, Politico named Reeves one of the top 50 thinkers in the U.S. His other books include “Dream Hoarders: How the American Upper Middle Class is Leaving Everyone Else in the Dust, Why That is a Problem, and What to do About it;” and “John Stuart Mill: Victorian Firebrand.”