Aaron W. Voyles explores the relationship between NASCAR and male behavior.
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Ever since the incident involving Tony Stewart and Kevin Ward Jr., my partner has been telling me that I should write a column about NASCAR. I have resisted because I didn’t known where to go in terms of tying it to education and college. The link, perhaps, lies in one of the practices of NASCAR, known as “have at it, boys.”
I am no expert at NASCAR, and I don’t want to pretend to be. I lived in the heart of NASCAR country for several years, but I cannot claim to be an avid fan or that I have in-depth knowledge of the sport. Certainly, it is both a popular and polarizing sport, and the idea of “have at it, boys” speaks to that.
For those who don’t know, “have at it, boys” (also known as “boys, have at it”) is a philosophy used by NASCAR to allow drivers to sort out issues amongst themselves. The type of back and forth that Tony Stewart and Kevin Ward Jr. displayed falls under the idea of giving more “attitude” to the sport. It is a philosophy that encourages purposefully wrecking one another and getting into scuffles.
The situation with Tony Stewart and Kevin Ward Jr. is tragic, not only for Kevin Ward Jr., but also for Tony Stewart. I would argue that it is also a tragic representation of “have at it, boys,” regardless of the fact that we may never know what really led to the accident.
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“Have at it, boys,” as a man who researches men rather than NASCAR, speaks much like “boys will be boys.” According to Harper, Harris, and Mmeje (2005), we as a society are more forgiving of behavioral problems in boys and accept the fact that they’ll get into fights and into trouble. The impact of accepting this behavior is that it undercuts any responsiveness to authority or societal responsibility.
The philosophy of “have at it, boys” not only extends childhood expectations long past childhood for NASCAR participants, but it also preaches this drama as acceptable ways of conflict resolution to legions of fans, both young and old. The combination is that we perpetuate the idea that boys and men cannot control their emotions and must respond violently and with anger.
When we extend this to college men, we see men who are floating in a society of appeasement and allowance. Men who get into relationship conflicts have seen anger as a way of resolving an issue. In my current position, I’m also seeing men who request room changes repeatedly because they have not developed appropriate skills to manage conflict with their roommates in college.
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I know some of the arguments against calling out NASCAR. It can be argued that it is not NASCAR’s place to instill social responsibility. It can be argued that NASCAR is one of many influences and far from the worst. Harper, Harris, and Mmeje (2005) tell us, however, that boys take on characteristics of the toys, cartoons, and experiences they have. They fuse these with their definitions of self. In other words, all of these influences do matter, including NASCAR.
At the same time, I acknowledge that NASCAR is also a symptom of how our society treats boys and men. NASCAR is just one of many things swirling around our young men. There are also the unwritten rules of baseball and how you hit opposing players. There’s the stigma of Matthew Stafford being a “china doll” because he gets injured playing in the violent NFL.
Together, these build a mentality of “have at it, boys.” Have at disrespect. Have at sexual assault. Have at death. Have at it, all of these things. I can’t suggest that Tony Stewart and Kevin Ward Jr.’s situation would have been different were NASCAR run differently. I have no way of knowing. I can suggest that incorporating respect in the lives of boys and men will make a different in the violence on college campuses.
Harper, S., Harris, F. & Mmeje, K. C. (2005). A theoretical model to explain the overrepresentation of college men among campus judicial offenders. NASPA Journal, 42(4), 565-588. Retrieved from http://repository.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1208&context=gse_pubs.
Ditching the Dunce Cap is a weekly Friday column from Aaron W. Voyles on the University of Texas-Austin. He welcomes your comments. This column is not affiliated with the university.
—Photo Bill McChesney/Flickr
—Edits by Nancy Lien
Also in Ditching the Dunce Cap:
The Challenge of Male Mentorship
Becoming a Beard Mentor
College Made Me Think I Hated Beer
An Ode to My College Roommate
Vomit. Sorry.
Examining the Axe Effect
When Will You Grab Your Saw?
Do You Know the Mega-Dump?
If the Shoe Fits, Cheat