Masculine Gender Role Research Articles

Disentangling the coping process in White rural men who carry guns.

Affluent White rural men have the highest rates of gun ownership in the United States. However, few studies have specifically examined reasons and motivations for gun ownership and gun behaviors in this population. Therefore, this study sought to examine the relationship between stress variables, namely masculine gender role stress, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and income level, and subsequent pro-gun beliefs and amount of time an individual carried a gun within this population. Results indicated that only two measures of pro-gun beliefs (i.e., believing guns keep one safe, believing guns are present in one's social sphere) were correlated with percentage of time an individual carried. Additionally, ACEs were positively correlated with believing guns influence how others perceive oneself, levels of masculine gender role stress, and income. These results suggest that White rural gun owners who have increased ACEs have decreased income and tend to believe that owning guns impacts their social status with peers. However, increased ACEs do not influence belief about guns keeping one safe, believing guns are present in one's social sphere, or gun carriage. Instead, White rural gun owners without childhood adversity may be more susceptible to believing their safety depends on guns and belongingness within their social sphere. Future research should assess reasons why affluent White rural men find it important to maintain their safety in the context of gun ownership.

Adherence to Masculinity Norms and Depression Symptoms Among Israeli Men: The Moderating Role of Psychological Flexibility.

Being a man has been recognized as a salient risk factor for suicide. Adopting uncompromised masculine perceptions (i.e., conforming to the masculine gender role norms) may restrict emotional expressiveness in men, which, in turn, may contribute to depression and somatization symptoms. We examined the moderating role of psychological flexibility and alexithymia in the relationship of masculinity with depression and somatization symptoms. A sample of 119 men completed measures of masculinity, alexithymia (difficulty identifying and delivering subjective feelings), psychological flexibility, depression, and somatization symptoms in a cross-sectional design study. Psychological flexibility levels moderated the relationship between masculinity and depression symptoms: Masculinity contributed as positively associated with depression symptoms when psychological flexibility was low, but no such association was found at moderate or high levels of psychological flexibility. As a cognitive factor promoting adaptive emotional regulation, psychological flexibility might reduce depression symptoms among inflexible masculine men. Clinical implications relate to diagnosing at-risk subgroups and their treatment.

Australian men's help-seeking intentions for anxiety symptoms: The impact of masculine norm conformity and gender role conflict

Research highlights a discrepancy between the number of men experiencing mental illness and those seeking professional help, particularly for anxiety. Conformity to masculine norms (CMN) and gender role conflict (GRC) have been recognised as barriers to men's mental health help-seeking, but few studies have examined these relationships for anxiety. This study aimed to examine the relationship between anxiety severity and help-seeking intentions in Australian men, and the additional impact of CMN and GRC. A total of 610 Australians aged 18–89 years (M = 46.02, SD = 17.14) participated in an online survey, which included demographic information and four standardised questionnaires measuring anxiety, help-seeking intentions, CMN, and GRC. CMN but not GRC was found to fully mediate the relationship between anxiety severity and anxiety-related help-seeking intentions. The results have theoretical implications for the study of masculinity and clinical implications for therapeutic approaches for men with anxiety symptoms.

A Qualitative Analysis of Beliefs about Masculinity and Gender Socialization among US Mothers and Fathers of School-Age Boys.

Internalization of culturally dominant masculine gender role norms can have harmful impacts on the physical and emotional health of men and boys. Although parents play an important role in influencing gender-related beliefs in their children, limited research has examined how contemporary parents conceptualize masculinity and their role in gender socialization. The current study conducted 13 focus groups with Black, Latino, and White parents (N = 83) of school-age boys from rural and urban areas in a large southeastern state in the US. Parent beliefs about masculinity existed across a spectrum from "rigid" (representing narrow, culturally dominant masculine norms) to "flexible" (defining a broader set of behaviors and attitudes as masculine). In general, more flexible beliefs were expressed by mothers than fathers, and by White than Black and Latino parents. Most parents reacted positively to messages about potential harms associated with restrictive masculinity norms; however, many saw these issues primarily as parenting challenges (e.g., teaching boys to resist negative peer influences) rather than related to gender socialization. Some unique themes also emerged within racial/ethnic groups, with Black parents noting the impact of racial discrimination on societal expectations for Black men and fathers, and Latino parents describing generational shifts towards more equitable gender role attitudes and parenting practices. These findings highlight the need for more complex and nuanced messages about masculinity norms and their relationship to health and well-being and can help inform the development of interventions to promote healthy masculine gender socialization, increase health equity, and prevent injury and violence.

Self-efficacy toward prescribed burning among female and male family forest landowners in Georgia, US

Around 9.6 million family forest landowners (FFLs) collectively own 36% of the forestland in the United States (US), playing a vital role in managing and shaping the forests across the country. There is an array of forest management practices that these families can pursue on their forestlands, including prescribed burning, which, although controversial, is a tool with many social and environmental benefits, such as hazardous fuels and wildfire reduction. Drawing on mail survey data of FFLs in Georgia, US, this study examines, through partial-least squares structural equation modeling and significance testing, how gendered self-efficacy (i.e., beliefs about gender roles in forestry, confidence in forest management skills, and knowledge about prescribed burning), predict prescribed burning intentions among female and male forest landowners. Our results show that male respondents believe in masculine gender roles in forestry, have more confidence in their forest management skills, and more confidence in their self-reported knowledge about prescribed fire, compared to their female counterparts. Exhibiting high self-efficacy in terms of confidence in own's forest management skills and prescribed burning knowledge increases the likelihood of prescribed burning intentions among FFLs. On the other hand, low self-efficacy among female FFLs is a negative predictor for their prescribed burning intentions in the next five years. We conclude that boosting female forest landowners' self-efficacy through same-gender peer learning groups would potentially increase their prescribed burning intentions, benefiting their forestlands, the southern forested landscape, and society.

Sex versus gender associations with brain structure

In contrast to sex (a biological distinction), little is known about the associations between gender (a societal construct) and brain structure in the general population. In response to this knowledge gap, we examined the associations of sex vs. gender with FreeSurfer-generated cortical thickness and proportion-adjusted subcortical brain volume regions-of-interest (ROIs) in healthy adults (n = 88) screened for general medical conditions, mental illness, substance abuse, and intracranial pathologies. Gender role endorsement was assessed using the well-established and validated Bem Sex Role Inventory. For our main objectives, we calculated a continuum score as a composite measure of gender. For our secondary objectives, we examined sex-specific associations of the masculine vs. feminine gender role endorsement domains with brain structural outcomes. We found that female sex, independent of continuum scores, was associated with larger proportion-adjusted volumes for the basal ganglia, hippocampus, and ventral diencephalon. Higher continuum scores, independent of sex, were associated with thicker cortical thickness for the left and right superior frontal cortex, caudal and rostral middle frontal cortex, and right pars orbitalis. Female sex and higher continuum scores were independently associated with larger corpus callosum volumes. Post-hoc testing showed sex-specific associations between higher femininity scores and thicker prefrontal cortical thickness for the ROIs in females, but not in males. In conclusion, sex and gender showed semi-independent associations with brain structure in a general population sample. Our research supports the disaggregation of sex and gender to provide a more nuanced perspective on brain structural differences between men and women.

Sexual Identity Development and Social Ecological Facilitators and Barriers of PrEP Uptake and Adherence Among Latinx Men Who Have Sex with Men.

Latinx gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (LMSM) report lower pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) use than their white, non-Latinx counterparts. We hypothesize that this disparity is partially attributable to social ecological factors that can be addressed via prevention interventions. In this retrospective study, we first examined data from 253 LMSM to determine whether theorized associations existed between acquisition of a PrEP prescription (uptake) in relation to several social ecological factors based on a conceptual framework of determinants of access to and uptake of PrEP for LMSM. We also explored relations between frequency of PrEP use (adherence) and social ecological factors with a subsample of 33 LMSM who had initiated PrEP 12months prior to assessment. In this study, individual-level factors from this framework included age and socioeconomic status. Perceived access to medical care represented both individual- and community-level determinants of PrEP uptake and adherence. Interpersonal-level factors were social support and relationship status. Structural/cultural-level factors were sexual identity development status, the masculinity norm of heterosexual self-presentation, traditional Latinx masculine gender role beliefs of machismo and caballerismo, racial identity, and immigration status. Results indicated that older men and those who endorsed the synthesis/integration status of sexual identity development were more likely to acquire a PrEP prescription during their lifetime in comparison to peers. PrEP adherence was linked with being older, reporting higher socioeconomic status, reporting more appraisal social support, self-identifying as white-Latinx, being U.S.-born, and endorsing less sexual identity uncertainty and more heterosexual self-presentation. Results specify modifiable factors that may inform tailored, community-based prevention efforts to increase PrEP use and decrease existing HIV/AIDS disparities among LMSM.

The Turkish version of the Masculine Gender Role Stress Questionnaire: Dimensions of fears and their correlates in young adults

The Turkish version of the Masculine Gender Role Stress Questionnaire: Dimensions of fears and their correlates in young adults

Mapping gender role stress scales utilities: a scoping review approach.

Gender role stress emerges as a concept to try to explain the health difficulties presented by men and women due to gender socialization. Thus, gender role stress arises when individuals feel stressed due to their perceived inability to fulfill the demands of their gender role, or when they believe that a particular situation necessitates behavior traditionally attributed to the opposite gender. To evaluate the presence of gender role stress in individuals, two scales were developed: the masculine gender role stress scale and the feminine gender role scale. To identify the main thematic areas studied in the behavioral sciences with the feminine gender role stress scale (FGRSS) and the masculine gender role stress scale (MGRSS) as main variables, specifically examining their contributions to the understanding of the attitudes and behaviors of individuals who are affected by gender role stress. We also aimed to analyze the difference, both quantitatively and qualitatively, in terms of scientific literature produced between the scales. We followed the preferred items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) checklist. A scoping review of the literature was conducted using systematic techniques, resulting in the inclusion of 87 articles utilizing either of the two scales. 80% (n = 72) of the articles employed the MGRSS, while 20% (n = 18) utilized the FGRSS. The MGRSS articles were also the most frequently cited in the literature. The FGRSS has been predominantly used to examine the implications for women's well-being, whereas the MGRSS has primarily been employed to predict disruptive behaviors in men. This scoping review highlights disparities in the scientific literature concerning the examination of feminine and masculine gender role stress and its consequences for people. Specifically, it points out the limited investigation into feminine gender role stress and its ramifications compared to masculine gender role stress. These findings indicates the lack of a gender perspective even in research intended to study it, and outline the importance of more research with a gender perspective where women are the aim of study.

Gender roles and gender norms associated with psychological distress in women and men among the Dutch general population.

Women report more psychological distress than men, which may be related to both biological sex and socio-cultural gender. We tested whether associations between gender and distress differ for women and men. The cross-sectional sample consisted of 678 Dutch people (54% women). Gender roles were assessed as masculinity and femininity. A composite gender norm score was calculated by summing gendered sociodemographics. Multivariate regressions examined sex, gender, and their interaction for depressive symptoms, anxiety, and perceived stress, additionally adjusted. Women reported more psychological distress. People scoring higher on masculine gender roles, but not feminine gender roles, reported lower psychological distress. A higher gender norm score was related to more depressive symptoms and perceived stress. This association was only present in men and was explained by health-related covariates. This research shows that there is a need to further elaborate on the discrepancies between sex and gender in health psychology research to better understand individual differences.

Gender Role Attitudes Influence Vocal Masculine Preferences Among Gay Men in China.

Gender role attitudes refer to attitudes toward the appropriate roles, rights, and responsibilities of men and women in society. Evidence indicates that individuals with traditional gender role attitudes tend to prefer mates with sex-typical opposite-sex characteristics in heterosexual men and women. This study examined whether gender role attitudes were associated with vocal masculinity preference in gay men in China. Five hundred and sixty-seven participants aged between 16 and 49 years completed the vocal masculinity preference (voice pitch and vocal tract length; VTLs) and gender role attitudes scale. The results indicated that gay men generally preferred masculine voices (lower voice pitch and longer VTLs) and gender role attitudes were positively correlated with preferences for masculine cues in the voices of men. While individuals indicating an affinity with traditional gender roles exhibited stronger preferences for feminine voices, which were inconsistent with the present hypotheses. The results help us understand the role of traditional gender beliefs in the mate preferences of gay men in China. Furthermore, based on the results, understanding one's gender-role attitudes can help cultivate more diversified criteria for mate selection and facilitate gay men in better choosing suitable mates. Future longitudinal studies should examine the relationship between gender role attitudes and masculine preference changes over time. Whether this relationship differs in the different sexual roles of gay men should also be explored.

The mediating role of self-compassion and the moderating role of restrictive emotionality in gender role discrepancy and depression

Masculine gender role discrepancy is men's perception of themselves as people who fail to conform to traditional masculine norms. There is solid scientific evidence that gender role discrepancy is related to grave mental health outcomes such as depression. Yet, the mechanisms that explicate the relationship between masculine gender role discrepancy and masculine depression remain unclear. As individual differences in men are suggested to be associated with depression, the current study aimed to examine the mediating role of self-compassion and the moderating role of restrictive emotionality in the association between masculine gender role discrepancy and masculine depression.For the purpose of the current study, a structured questionnaire was distributed through online means, resulting in a sample of 954 men aged 18 and older. The results revealed that self-compassion partially mediates the relationship between gender role discrepancy and masculine depression. Moreover, a positive effect of gender role discrepancy on masculine depression was found to be more pronounced at higher levels of restrictive emotionality. The contemporary empirical evidence underscores the significance of individual variances in adhering to conventional masculine gender norms concerning the nexus between gender role discrepancy and masculine depression. Moreover, this research accentuates the salience of gender role matters in shaping the mental well-being of men.

The mediating role of self-disclosure in the relationship between masculine gender role stress and foreign language classroom anxiety

ABSTRACT The excessive anxiety male EFL (English as a Foreign Language) students feel in their foreign language classrooms may have considerable drawbacks on their verbal and productive performances. This study aims to investigate the mediating role of self-disclosure in the relationship between masculine gender role stress and foreign language classroom anxiety. This research embraced a quantitative research design by utilizing a survey. Data were collected from male Turkish EFL learners (n = 227). Male gender was determined through self-identification. A closed-ended questionnaire including a demographic part and three scales was administered: Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety, Masculine Gender Role Stress, and Self-disclosure. The findings were analyzed by using Pearson Correlation Test and the mediation model proposed by Hayes (2018). There was a positive and significant correlation between masculine gender role stress and foreign language classroom anxiety. Also, each of these two variables had a negative and significant correlation with self-disclosure. Further, self-disclosure mediated the relationship between masculine gender role stress and foreign language classroom anxiety. These findings suggest that the excessive masculine gender role stress that participants possess in language classrooms is likely to decrease their self-disclosure skills, which might increase their foreign language classroom anxiety.

The Unmanliness of Ostracism: The Role of Masculine Gender Role Stress and Intimate Partner Violence in Men’s Mental Health

The Unmanliness of Ostracism: The Role of Masculine Gender Role Stress and Intimate Partner Violence in Men’s Mental Health

Masculine Gender Role Stress and Attitudes Towards Seeking Psychological Help: Serial Mediation by Self-Stigma and Self-Compassion

Masculine Gender Role Stress and Attitudes Towards Seeking Psychological Help: Serial Mediation by Self-Stigma and Self-Compassion

The relationship of frustration reactions and gender role behavior in patients with schizophrenia and affective disorders

The study of violations of the adaptive-compensatory mechanisms of patients with mental disorders makes it relevant to study the combined characteristics of gender, psychosexual sphere and response to stress in mental pathology. The aim of the study was to identify the relationship between the types and directions of frustration reactions as unconscious components of coping with gender and gender-role behavior. 183 patients with diagnoses of schizophrenia and schizotypal disorder, recurrent depressive disorder, bipolar affective disorder were examined. In the diagnostic groups, men and women were dominated by persons under the age of 30. The «Method of diagnostics of gender role behavior accentuations» and «Drawing Associations test» were used. The data obtained indicate that among patients with schizophrenia, men with cross-gender role accentuation better assimilate socio-normative patterns of behavior than women with cross-gender role accentuation; in women with schizotypal disorder, the presence of cross-gender accentuation of gender-role behavior is associated with a lower level of social adaptation compared to women without accentuation.Women with schizotypal disorder and more pronounced masculine gender role accentuation have a profile of the direction of emotional reactions in frustrating situations, characteristic of men with schizotypal disorder. In ontogenesis, the interrelationships of stereotypes of emotional response and the level of gender role accentuation change. The revealed sex differences in the profiles of frustration reactions among patients on the schizophrenic spectrum may be partially explained by the gender-role characteristics of patients. In conclusion of the analysis, it can be concluded that the stereotypes of a person’s emotional response and their formation are closely related to gender-role behavior. Knowledge of this kind of interrelationships enables the psychotherapist in the course of treatment to achieve the patient’s understanding of his behavior, including its unconscious aspects.

REPRESENTATION OF THE FATHER FIGURE IN PARENTING IN THE LATEST INDONESIAN NOVEL: A STUDY OF FATHER'S MASCULINITY

Discussions about masculinity, in general, will be associated with certain stereotypes of masculinity. This study aimed to describe the representation of masculinity-fatherhood in the latest Indonesian novels. This research was descriptive qualitative research using the fatherhood theory by Asy'ari and Ariyanto. Data sources were several novels entitled My Father (Not) a Liar (Tere Liye), Ayah (Andrea Hirata), Saturday with Father (Adhitya Mulya), and Father Loves Without End (Kirana Kejora). The steps of data analysis in this study used the technique stated by Miles, et al (2014: 10-12) which included collecting data by means of repeated reading of the novel manuscript and then marking/coding the data found, condensation, and categorizing, analyzing, and drawing a conclusion. The results of the research showed that there was a male role as a son, husband, or father who participated in the domestic sphere while still making or showing his masculine side who show with communication, responsibility, interaction with children, teaching methods, and supervisory roles. The conclusion was father's involvement in the parenting role was a manifestation of emotional closeness, the father's accessibility, and responsibility in various aspects. This was a form of support for men who are more pro-feminist where men can share roles in various aspects. This paternal role was also shown as a form of crossing over between masculine and feminine gender roles, which was a reaction to the hegemony of masculinity as a form of effort to eradicate the dominant father's role in a family.

Traditional Masculine Gender Role Norms and Nonsuicidal Self-Injury in Veterans.

Reducing Veteran rates of suicide has long remained a top priority for the Veterans Health Administration, and as such, identifying correlates of suicidal behaviors is important to develop targeted interventions. Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) has been identified as a robust predictor of suicide attempts; however, less is known about correlates of NSSI that may aid in upstream prevention efforts. Prior research suggests adherence to various traditional masculine gender role norms may be positively associated with NSSI. Thus, as the U.S. military is widely recognized for promoting and rewarding such norms, this study sought to build off previous research by examining the association between adherence to various masculine gender role norms and engagement in NSSI behaviors among a mixed-sex sample of U.S. Veterans (N = 124). Results showed the norm of emotional control was most strongly associated with lifetime engagement in NSSI behaviors (including the behavior of wall-object punching), whereas the norm of violence was associated with NSSI disorder. Interestingly, exploratory analyses indicated that these associations were primarily driven by women Veterans and sexual orientation status. Overall, the results highlight the importance of assessing for adherence to masculine gender role norms among all Veterans and speak to additional avenues for future research.

Broadening the Perspective on the Dynamics of Men’s Suicide: Thought Suppression as a Mediator between Men’s Self-Reliance and Suicidality

Objective In most countries, men are at higher risk than women for suicide death. Research focused on masculinity and men’s mental health increasingly demonstrates that relationships between gender and various health outcomes, including suicidality, is complex as these relationships can be further explained by certain psychological processes or health behaviors. The objective of this study was to extend this area of research in a national sample of US men (n = 785) by investigating if their adherence to certain hegemonic masculine gender role norms (toughness and self-reliance through mechanical skills) is associated with the suppression of distressing thoughts and if thought suppression then increases their risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Methods Men in the US who have recently experienced a stressful life event completed an anonymous online survey. Structural Equational Modeling (SEM) was used to test for direct and indirect effects (i.e., mediation) between variables. Results Men’s engagement in thought suppression mediated the relationship between self-reliance and suicidality. The norm of toughness was both directly related to suicidality and mediated by thought suppression. Conclusions Thought suppression appears to be a process that provides some explanation for the relationships between hegemonic masculine norms and suicidality in men, though this study indicated it may play only a small role. Research continues to build that certain masculine norms, such as self-reliance and toughness, are particularly concerning for men’s health. HIGHLIGHTS Men’s thought suppression mediates the relationship between self-reliance and suicidality Men’s toughness impacts suicidality both directly and via engagement in thought suppression These findings have implications for interventions that help men manage distressing thoughts

Initial Test of a Model of Men’s Sexual Harassment Perpetration: Examining Indirect Effects of Social Dominance Orientation through Social Norms and Gender Role Discrepancy Stress

ABSTRACT Prior research is limited in the study of correspondence between online and in-person forms of sexual harassment (SH) among adult men as well as correlates of these behaviors. The present study assesses whether social dominance orientation (SDO; i.e., the tendency to reject equality and support hierarchy-legitimizing myths and behaviors) might be associated with increases in SH perpetration both online and in-person, perhaps through increases in perceived social support for SH and masculine gender role discrepancy stress. Among a sample of U.S. adult men (N = 167), results indicated that there were indirect effects of SDO on both in-person and online SH through increases in perceived social norms but not through masculine gender role discrepancy stress. A competing model, in which SDO mediates these associations, was not supported. Results support the use of social norms approaches to target perceived social norms, if these results are replicated within temporal designs.