Progressive Sons Sliding to the Right

Kathryn Jezer-Morton has an interesting, anguished piece in New York magazine’s “The Cut,” about being a progressive parent and raising sons in an age when many young men are noticeably turning to the political right. Now, set aside the ethical questions that face any parent who chooses to write publicly about parenting her own children. Jezer-Morton delicately points the finger at progressivism’s fascination with grievance and being an aggrieved identity. All women and people of color have a ready-made story of overcoming patriarchy and white supremacy. Picking up on the work of Dr. Robin James, she writes:

Translated, there’s a very strong progressive cultural bias toward building identity stories of resilience or overcoming social prejudice. But progressivism does not (or cannot) see young white males as having to face any particular social difficulties, whereas conservatives such as Jordan Peterson or other online influencers on the right offer a narrative to young men about how they are devalued, ignored, and impugned. Thus something that progressives put into them draws them toward the right.