Introduction

In recent years, research on men and masculinity has increased substantially. This body of work has been generated to a large degree by a growing awareness that prior research on gender was imbalanced in that it primarily focused upon the condition and experiences of women and girls in society. The new research on men and masculinity has begun to interrogate the role of men in society, the ways in which cultural and structural systems of patriarchy are maintained, and the various ways in which masculine gender roles shape the identities and experiences of men and boys in society.

The Convening of Experts

On January 17 and 18, 2008, the Metropolitan Center for Urban Education, under the leadership of Pedro Noguera and funding support from the Ford Foundation, convened leading scholars engaged in research related to the experiences and conditions of Latino males in the United States. The task for these scholars was two-fold: 1) to identify the key areas of current and additional research; and 2) to situate the current state of interventions and to generate possible interventions. The forum had a three-part structure:

1. First a presentation on the status of Latino males in the US across various social conditions (i.e., mental health, labor market participation, educational attainment, composition, health indicators).
2. Second part of the forum involved scholars engaged in a structured discussion about the possible reasons for the status of Latino males and policy intervention.
3. Lastly, the advisory board, comprised of five scholars, met the following day to assess the meeting and provide guidance for next steps.

As a result of the convening, scholars were encouraged to provide monographs regarding the state of what is known within their respective fields; these monographs will result in an edited volume. This report serves to provide a summary of the research and policy areas outlined by these leading scholars.