[finnigan2]

"What's happened to boys? There's an obvious answer you didn't mention: diminished societal expectations."

- I believe you have stated the core issue but I think that the reasons for this diminuation go beyond just the role expected of boys in a breadwinner/family situation.
I despaired of my two sons when they spent most of their twenties in aimless odd jobs, mooching about in an aimless manner.
In their late twenties, for different reasons, they both got their act together and now hold responsible jobs and are doing better than I did after 30 years of work. But somewhere in the mix, they both lost about a decade of their lives before they finally got it together.
So far, I don't think the situation has gotten hopeless, but boys are taking longer to "grow up" and take on responsibility that they once had to when they turned eighteen.
The reasons are complex, but the educational system must take a lot of the blame along with the increased affluence they see around them which lowers their sense of priority for the need to, "earn a living".

[kitkat]

***The reasons are complex, but the educational system must take a lot of the blame along with...***

Actually, while I agree with you, there's one reason that's very simple. When a young man wanted sex, he was expected to get married and to be able to support a family. That was a strong incentive for him to get a job and work hard.

When women's lib told the women to give it away for free, the incentive disappeared.