Cool Pose, Black Manhood, and Juvenile Delinquency

Abstract

The historical construct of American manhood is that of White male dominance. Black boys who realize that their access to traditional manhood is limited then shape their sub-cultural response, called Cool Pose. Cool Pose facilitates the stereotype of Black boys as both delinquent and intellectually inferior; Black boys gain acceptance and respect among peers by acting out and performing below intellectual capacity. Cool Pose is critical to the study of juvenile delinquency. Ultimately, Black boys must learn to value traditional concepts of manhood apart from those rooted in sub-cultural experiences.

KEYWORDS:

• Black boys
• Cool Pose
• juvenile delinquency
• manhood
• masculinity