A history of deprivation in the South Wales Valleys has shaped its young men's aspirations and views of masculinity, Cardiff University research shows.
Dr Richard Gater conducted in-depth interviews with young men aged 13-21 who were living in the Aber Valley, in the borough of Caerphilly. The study explored their transition from school to work – and the influences that affected their job choices as they moved into adulthood. He based himself at a youth centre for the research, where the young men would visit.
The research was conducted for Dr Gater's PhD, with the book being commissioned while he was a researcher at the Wales Institute of Social and Economic Research and Data (WISERD).
He said: "There has been a lot of discussion recently about 'toxic masculinity' and the negative ways in which young men engage with the world,but not enough is being done to understand and combat the drivers behind these outcomes. . This research offers insights into the experiences of marginalised young men living in a deprived community in South Wales, conducted by someone who himself used to be one of those 'lads'.
"It's clear that the system is failing this group. Rather than condemning this group of individuals, I believe more needs to be done to nurture their talents and raise aspirations from an early age."
Role models were a key influence in the views of the young men he interviewed, Dr Gater says.
"Lots of the young men I spoke to were involved in crime, including acts of aggression and violence, often fuelled by their peers," he explained.
"In terms of their career aspirations, most preferred the idea of a manual job, rejecting higher education or what they viewed as boring office jobs. This stemmed from the fact that family members were in similar jobs. One of the lads wanted to become a chef, based on the fact his Nan had taught him to cook from a young age.
"And there are other stereotypes that are being rejected; in the past, hugging each other might have been frowned upon in these circles – but this group were comfortable doing so. This came from the fact that they saw football players hugging each other and that there had been a rise in cultural discussions around men's mental health.
"It is clear that continuities and changes in masculine stereotypes are shaping the young men's identities and attitudes towards education and employment. Like my own, their futures are certainly not a 'done deal'."
Unemployment rates for men in the Aber Valley are significantly above the national average, standing at 9.4% compared with the UK average of 5%. Nearly 35 per cent of Aber Valley residents have no academic qualifications.
As Dr Gater details in his book, The 21st Century Ladz, Continuity and Changes among Marginalised Young Men from the South Wales Valleys , he describes himself as an "insider" in the community, having lived there all his life. He too rejected education at an early age – leaving school with no GCSEs.
"My resistance to education quickly escalated into early teenage smoking, drinking alcohol, drug-taking and 'petty' crime, intensified by my youthful admiration of a group of boys in my village," he said. "During my twenties, I worked all sorts of jobs, some of them precarious. In the end, I decided I had nothing to lose and took the leap into higher education."
Now working as a research assistant at the Centre for Adult Social Care Research (CARE), Dr Gater added: "It is vital that discussions around opportunities for young people are driven by their lived experiences and viewpoints."
