Seventh- and eighth-graders Betsa, Siddig, Aksayan, Yoel, and Kamari dive into a compelling discussion about the intricacies of boyhood, friendship and societal expectations.
Season four of Breaking the Boy Code is a collaborative project with a group of five students at a nearby middle school. Together with my friend and past colleague Adrian, we engage the boys—seventh-graders Betsa and Siddig, who identify as Congolese and Sudanese; and eighth-graders Aksayan, Yoel and Kamari, who are Sri Lankan, Eritrean, and Jamaican part Indigenous—in a series of discussions on the intersection of masculinity and race.
This week, the boys talk about gender norms and how they impact boys who look like them. They unpack the difference between the ‘boy code’ and the ‘bro code’ and what they mean for boys’ friendships—highlighting both the positive aspects, such as bringing friends closer and providing emotional support, and the negative aspects, like ego issues or not having each other's backs in tough situations.
From restrictions on clothing choices to societal norms limiting emotional expression, the boys share personal stories and start exploring what it feels like to challenge these stereotypes.