ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book opens new channels of understanding and facilitates multilayered change through its contribution to dialogue, mutual awareness, and peace. It analyses the processes Israeli parents undergo upon discovering they will bear a son and the unconscious conflict that sabotages and shapes their parenting. This is a conflict the resolution of which is found in the couple arena, with the price of built-in tension in the couple's relationship. The book discusses the consequences of raising sons in conditions that encourage immaturity but foster hunger for masculinity. Other foci are the benefits and price paid for this reality by Israeli youth, and how they grapple with this challenging emotional and social demand. The book presents thoughts on how to apply these psychoanalytic insights to potential social interventions.
