Love, Sex, and Masculinity in Sociocultural Context

Abstract

African American men in heterosexual relationships are virtually invisible in the theoretical and empirical psychological HIV/AIDS literature. This article posits that two theoretical frameworks—masculinity ideologies (MI) and sociocultural context—are important for comprehending Black men’s condom use. Qualitative methods, although relatively rare in U.S. psychology, are critical to understanding the context of lived experience, particularly with under researched populations and topics. This study involved semi structured interviews with lower-middle-income African American men (N = 13) between the ages of twenty-four and fifty in emotionally and sexually intimate heterosexual relationships. Data were analyzed via three techniques derived from grounded theory analysis. Analyses revealed that although many (n = 9) articulated traditional MI (e.g., sexual permissiveness) that have implications for HIV risk, eleven participants also expressed unconventional MI (e.g., being as or more emotionally invested than their female partners) that also have implications for reducing risk in Black heterosexual relationships.