Sir, - As I was involved in teaching boys for 36 years, I have been following the correspondence on "Exploring Masculinities" with some interest. I find the letter from Dr Tom Inglis (November 7th) both bizarre and offensive to the great majority of the fine young people with whom I have dealt. Of course, as Dr Inglis says, violent and abusive men may respond to "intervention programmes"; and of course there are boys who have problems with "their beliefs, attitudes and behaviour."
However, he then goes on to maintain that "masculinity is not a given, but a cultural construct which can be challenged and resisted". Nowhere does he suggest that there are many aspects of masculinity which should be celebrated and endorsed. The tone of his contribution seems to associate masculinity only with abuse and violence. We should celebrate such necessary qualities as courage, generosity, energy and, yes, the natural ebullience of boys - a bit wearing at times to a teacher of advanced years - instead of giving them the impression that they are suffering from some serious but treatable disorder.
I also had the privilege of teaching in a co-educational school for many years where I valued the many and frequently different qualities of the female students. The French have a saying about that difference, which escapes me at the moment. - Yours, etc.,
Hugh F. Ryan, Holmpatrick, Skerries, Co Dublin.
PS: Did the young Army officer who dived into a raging flood in Clonmel the other day to rescue a man engage in some "critical self-reflection" beforehand?