Page 36 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 4
P. 36
certain mindsets that eventually sure communication is efficient
MEN, shape how and why boys com- in crucial interactions.
municate.
The new challenges of the 21st
COMMUNICATING Many boys globally grow up with century, which include the real-
ity of social media and the sen-
one or more of these myths:
FOR ME ALONE boys are superior to girls; open- sitive nature of information de-
livery and meaning, mean that
ing up on deep emotional issues
is weakness and a female char- we as a society must create
acteristic; and lastly, it’s girls communication that is clear and
always consider it a privilege to
I outs of the above are that boys her full potential. We have to
seamless, if Afrika must rise to
that talk too much. The direct fall
share a few thoughts on the male
conversation, a passion I have
will communicate with girls from
hit the ground running in terms
carried for years now as I con-
sistently see the need to focus on a condescending posture, boys of deploying our most qualified
will find it hard to share emotions human capacity community to
this gender in view of the numerous
and information with those they tackle the most daunting of our
challenges of being a man in 21st
have an intimate relationship challenges. We will require ev-
century Afrika. with and will have poor listening eryone communicating for the
In my personal observation of life in skills in multiple relationships. purpose of clarity,engagement
general, I have come to appreciate
Many men globally suffer from and growth.
the importance of communication in
a condition called alexithymia, This communication revolution
relationships across the board. Ev-
a situation where you have very must begin in our homes as
ery relationship thrives on the abil- few words to express how you the bedrock on which society
ity to convey meaning between two feel and it contributes a great is built, we must intentionally
people for the success of their inter-
deal to the cycle of violence in prepare boys to understand
action.
men. When one party has been the key role they will play in the
Communication, as we are told, is
socialized with poor communi- future and that communication
not successful until the receiver un- cation skills or to communicate is the soul of every interaction
derstands the intent of the sender with a self-preservation motive, required to create a new Afrika.
without any ambiguity whatsoever,
it only follows that many rela-
so communication must be clear
tionships will have major com-
and must elicit the response the
munication challenges.
sender expects, which is the original As social beings, our multiple
intent of interface. relationships will require that we
We can comfortably agree that
intentionally observe the com-
communication makes the world go
munication patterns of those we
round. People must be able to pass
are in relationships with so as
and receive information for life to to ensure we create communi-
run a clean cycle. Whether it’s lan- cation that is suitable for each
guage, signs, body language, tones
unique relationship.
etc., communication is the soul of
Today many marriages, parent-
relationships as people need to
ing, business and other social
consistently engage each other to relationships suffer because of
ensure a successful lifespan of any communication gone wrong,
relationship.
verbal abuse and gender based
Boys who eventually become men
violence are constantly being
will find themselves always involved
flared by communication issues.
in one relationship or the other The sad reality today is that the Omooba Deji Irawo is a Multi-channel
throughout their lifespan, from the rise in depression, mental health media executive with almost 3 de-
immediate family to friends, author- cades experience in the TV broadcast
issues and suicide in men is
ity, colleagues, wife, children, in- industry, he is also a male resource
clearly linked to men who find it
laws, work place and many more. person with focus on emotional male
difficult to process pain internal- dysfunction. He is involved in male
However it is very interesting to note ly, communicate their feelings
many men struggle with communi- and emotions to the required advocacy in collaboration with various
cation in general. Traditional mascu- men networks in Nigeria. Deji writes
persons and lack the skills to en- from Lagos, Nigeria.
line ideology of raising boys carries
