To fight the growing "gender crisis" in the country, a Shanghai-based publisher has released China's first textbook for boys. Called "Little Men," the textbook aims to strengthen masculinity and other related ideals among Chinese kids in the 4th and 5th grades.
Published by the Shanghai Educational Publishing House on Wednesday, Jan. 11, "Little Men" contains six chapters that teach boys about courage, encouraging them to tap into their masculine side and become more outgoing young men.
According to China News Service, the textbook will help solve the "gender crisis" brought about by the increasing popularity of Japanese and Korean fashion and pop music among Chinese teenagers. Korean and Japanese culture often depict and normalize young men in touch with their feminine side.
The textbook will be used by some schools in China, with classes conducted without female students. Instead, girls will attend other courses, the South China Morning Post reported.
Critics Lash at "Little Men" Textbook
You Rui, the chief editor of "Little Men," hopes the book will help boys overcome problems common during adolescence. Since its publication, however, the book has met backlash, with critics taking aim at China's male-dominated society.
Instead of cultivating masculinity among boys, Zhang Meimei, an education expert, told China News Service that the people should focus on raising morally sound and responsible young men.
Meanwhile, Fang Gang, a gender studies specialist, emphasizes that placing pressure on masculinity is wrong as it cultivates male dominance instead of gender equality in a society.
Fang told China News Service that schools should also make sex education classes more accessible and easy to understand, contrary to the practice of conducting sex education classes for boys and girls separately.
In a report by China News Service, it was stated that boys are lagging behind their female classmates in academics and social skills. More and more Chinese boys are also becoming effeminate in the recent years.