Men's Gender Role Research Articles

Gender Norms, Gender Role Conflict/Stress and HIV Risk Behaviors Among Men in Mpumalanga, South Africa.

Men's gender role conflict and stress (GRC/S), the psychological strain they experience around fulfilling expectations of themselves as men, has been largely unexplored in HIV prevention research. We examined associations between both men's gender norms and GRC/S and three HIV risk behaviors using data from a population-based survey of 579 18-35year-old men in rural northeast South Africa. Prevalence of sexual partner concurrency and intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration in the last 12months were 38.0 and 13.4%, respectively; 19.9% abused alcohol. More inequitable gender norms and higher GRC/S were each significantly associated with an increased odds of concurrency (p=0.01; p<0.01, respectively), IPV perpetration (p=0.03; p<0.01), and alcohol abuse (p=0.02; p<0.001), controlling for demographic characteristics. Ancillary analyses demonstrated significant positive associations between: concurrency and the GRC/S sub-dimension subordination to women; IPV perpetration and restrictive emotionality; and alcohol abuse and success, power, competition. Programs to transform gender norms should be coupled with effective strategies to prevent and reduce men's GRC/S.

Public Spending on Childcare as an Indicator of Gender Sensitivity of Budget

Nowadays, women make more than 60% university graduates, but their status in the labour market does not fully reflect educational achievements, which leads to greater financial dependence of women on men and gender inequality in other areas. To determine the potential solutions to this situation the paper analyses correlation between public spending on childcare services, gender equality in terms of time spent in unpaid work and differences in employment rates of women with children under the age of 6 and women without children in EU. Results confirm significant positive correlation between specified variables and highlight the need to take into account different gender roles of men and women in the decision-making during the budgeting process in order to ensure equal opportunities to male and female labour force in the labour market as a precondition for greater gender equality.

Voluntary Agencies’ Responses to, and Attitudes toward Male Rape: Issues and Concerns

This paper critically explores voluntary agencies’ responses to, and attitudes toward male survivors of rape in England and Wales. There has been a gap in this area, so this paper attempts to fill this gap in knowledge by examining how these survivors experience service delivery and by examining what contributions feminist theory and research has made to understand ‘male rape’. This paper argues that feminist theory and research neglects male rape and this negligence can also be seen in voluntary organisations for survivors. Therefore, through the neglect of male rape, the gender roles of men and women are reinforced instead of being tackled. This paper contributes to knowledge by opening up a discussion on male rape in the academic setting, in feminist theory and research debates, and in research surrounding voluntary agencies. This, in turn, helps to raise awareness of such a ‘hidden’ phenomenon in policy and practice and helps to form a better understanding not only of male rape, but also of the responses and attitudes toward it by voluntary provisions and the wider society.

Analysing the importance of older people's resources for the use of home care in a cash-for-care scheme: evidence from Vienna.

Older people of lower socioeconomic status (SES) are disproportionately affected by chronic conditions, yet less able to compensate health limitations through use of formal long-term care (LTC) at home, a preferred type of care for most. Some, like older women and single people, are particularly vulnerable. Under the Austrian public cash-for-care scheme, which aims to incentivise care at home and empowerment of LTC users, this study analyses: (i) interdependencies between SES, gender and 'informal' or family care, and (ii) how these factors associate with the use of old age formal home care in Vienna. An adaptation of Arber and Ginn's theory is used to identify material resources (income), health resources (care needs) and informal caring resources (co-residence and/or availability of family care). Gender aspects are also considered as a persistent source of inequalities. Administrative and survey data, collected by public authorities between 2010 and 2012 in Vienna, serve to compare home care use in old age (60+) to other support forms (residential and informal care) using logistic regression analysis. Results show a pro-rich bias in home care use among single-living people, with high-income single people being less likely to move to a care home, while there are no significant income differences present for non-singles. Second, traditional gender roles are salient: female care recipients co-residing with a partner are more likely to use formal care than men, reflecting that men's traditional gender roles involve less unpaid care work than women's. In conclusion, in an urban setting, the Austrian cash-for-care scheme is likely to reinforce stratifications along gender and class, thus implementing the general policy objective of care at home, but more likely for those with higher income. A support mechanism promoting empowerment among all older people might contribute to unequal degrees of choice, especially for those with fewer resources to manage their way through a fragmented system of LTC delivery.

Research on the gender roles of men and women and the transition of language expression on the TV Public Service Announcements

Research on the gender roles of men and women and the transition of language expression on the TV Public Service Announcements

Development of the Abbreviated Masculine Gender Role Stress Scale.

Data gathered from 6 independent samples (n = 1,729) that assessed men's masculine gender role stress in college and community males were aggregated used to determine the reliability and validity of an abbreviated version of the Masculine Gender Role Stress (MGRS) Scale. The 15 items with the highest item-to-total scale correlations were used to create an abbreviated MGRS Scale. Psychometric properties of each of the 15 items were examined with item response theory (IRT) analysis, using the discrimination and threshold parameters. IRT results showed that the abbreviated scale may hold promise at capturing the same amount of information as the full 40-item scale. Relative to the 40-item scale, the total score of the abbreviated MGRS Scale demonstrated comparable convergent validity using the measurement domains of masculine identity, hypermasculinity, trait anger, anger expression, and alcohol involvement. An abbreviated MGRS Scale may be recommended for use in clinical practice and research settings to reduce cost, time, and patient/participant burden. Additionally, IRT analyses identified items with higher discrimination and threshold parameters that may be used to screen for problematic gender role stress in men who may be seen in routine clinical or medical practice.

Gender and Sports in Contemporary Society

The society expects males and females to adopt, believe in, and fulfill specific gender roles and stereotypes that have been established. Generally, males are expected to be strong, independent, and athletic, whereas females are expected to be quiet, obedient, attractive and nurturers. Society demands compliance to the enforced gender order. When these gender norms are violated, it is common for labels to be given, questions to be asked, and people to be ridiculed. Over the past few centuries, gender roles of men and women have started to change greatly in our society, and especially in the world of sports. Also, female athletes are beginning to establish themselves in the sports world. With the change in gender roles in our society, many female athletes have started to view themselves in a different manner. Even though women athletes have become more prominent in society, many wonder how these women feel about the evolution of gender roles, and how they have affected the perceptions of women athletes. In recent years, there has been a significant shift from advocating for ‘gender equity in sport’ towards using ‘sport for gender equity and personal development’. DOI: 10.5901/jesr.2014.v4n7p25

Tanzanian men’s gender attitudes, HIV knowledge, and risk behaviours

This study uses data from the 2004-05 Tanzanian Demographic and Health Survey to examine whether men's traditional gender role attitudes contribute to their sexual risk behaviours for HIV. Logistic regression with random effects were used to analyze effects on risk behaviours at last sex (partners being drunk and condom use) with the three most recent sexual relationships. Men's traditional gender attitudes increased risky sexual behaviours (e.g., not using a condom) even when they had accurate knowledge regarding HIV risks. The impact of men's gender attitudes and HIV knowledge on risky sexual behaviours did not vary by relationship type. Unexpectedly, condom use was more likely when either partner was drunk compared to neither being drunk, though the protective impact of HIV knowledge remained. Overall, these findings suggest that traditional gender attitudes present barriers to preventing HIV/AIDS that even increased knowledge about HIV risks may not overcome.

‘Dented’ and ‘Resuscitated’ masculinities: The impact of HIV diagnosis and/or enrolment on antiretroviral treatment on masculine identities in rural eastern Uganda

There is limited research on the impact of HIV or its treatment on men's identity construction and gender roles in sub-Saharan Africa. Based on in-depth research with 26 men in rural Uganda, this article discusses men's vulnerabilities and shifting gender relations and sense of masculinity resulting from HIV infection or enrolment on treatment in eastern Uganda. The findings suggest two broad categories of masculinity: respectable and reputational. HIV infection and illness dented masculinity as men lost authority within the domestic sphere. A weakened provider role and over-reliance on wives and children undermined masculinity as family head, and social sanctioning of their sexual activity, undermined conventional masculine identities predicted on reputation. However, treatment led to a more reflexive approach to demonstrating masculinity, increased attentiveness to health and restored hope to father children free of HIV, resuscitating respectable masculinities. The balance between eroded and restored masculinity varied between men by their treatment history, age, family composition and state of health. HIV support agencies need to pay attention to the way HIV and antiretroviral treatment (ART) influence men's perception of their masculinity and support them to overcome the anxieties about dented or eroded masculinity, while building on the positive ways in which treatment restores masculinity to support men's adherence to HIV treatment. In particular, there is a need to support men's engagement in productive activities that bring income so that men can regain their provider roles following ART and restore their respectability in both the public and the domestic sphere.

Gender Role Conflict Research 30 Years Later: An Evidence‐Based Diagnostic Schema to Assess Boys and Men in Counseling

During the last 30 years, over 350 research studies have used the Gender Role Conflict Scale (O'Neil, Helms, Gable, David, &amp; Wrightsman, 1986) to assess men's gender role conflict (GRC). The results of these studies indicate that GRC is correlated with many negative psychological outcomes for men and women, but few studies have examined the clinical application of GRC. A new diagnostic schema for counselors is presented that assesses men's gender role devaluations, restrictions, and violations.

Toward a better understanding of emerging adult men's gender role journeys: Differences in age, education, race, relationship status, and sexual orientation.

Toward a better understanding of emerging adult men's gender role journeys: Differences in age, education, race, relationship status, and sexual orientation.

Olha Kbylianska and Eliza Orzeszkowa - two women, one idea

Olha Kobylianska and Eliza Orzeszkowa lived nearly at the same time, at the end of the 19 , h century. Both wrote novels about the faith, life and identity of women, especially about the gender roles of men and women, therefore I cali their novels feministic ones. I consider them to be key works of feminism because they show the situation of women in their time. The aim of this article is to compare the novels Tsarivna by Kobylianska and Marta by Orzeszkowa to discuss some aspects of the situation of women in the 19 1 century in Eastern Europe.

College men's intimate partner violence attitudes: Contributions of adult attachment and gender role stress.

Primary prevention of men's intimate partner violence (IPV) toward women in dating relationships is an important area of psychological inquiry and a significant concern for counselors working with college student populations. Previous research has identified that certain beliefs condoning or accepting physical, sexual, and psychological violence in relationships are key risk factors for IPV perpetration; however, comparatively few studies have examined the social and relational variables related to IPV acceptance attitudes. In the present study, we proposed and tested a structural model examining the combined contributions of adult attachment dimensions (i.e., attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance) and masculine gender role stress in the prediction of IPV acceptance attitudes in a large sample of college men (N = 419). We hypothesized that the relationship between attachment insecurity and IPV acceptance attitudes would be partially mediated by men's gender role stress. A partially mediated model produced the best indices of model fit, accounting for 31% of the variance in an IPV acceptance attitudes latent variable. A bootstrapping procedure confirmed the significance of mediation effects. These results suggest that aspects of adult attachment insecurity are associated with tendencies to experience stress from violations of rigidly internalized traditional male role norms, which, in turn, are associated with acceptance of IPV. Findings are further discussed in relation to adult attachment theory (Mikulincer & Shaver, 2007), gender role strain theory (Pleck, 1995), and their implications for IPV prevention in college student populations.

Revisiting ‘mothers and sons’ preference formation and the female labor force in Switzerland

This paper analyzes the interrelation between men's gender role attitudes and female labor supply decision. Following Fernández et al. (2004), I argue that the recent increases in the female labor market participation rate are driven by the growing proportion of men who were brought up in a family with a working mother. First, the paper reexamines the results of the cross-section analysis of Fernández et al. (2004) using the Swiss Household Panel 2005 to illustrate that married women whose mothers-in-law were working are themselves significantly more likely to be in the labor force. In a second step, the paper attempts to test one of their model's crucial mechanisms and show that the effect of a wife's labor market integration on her husband's well-being diverges depending on the former labor market status of his mother. Taken together, this evidence can be interpreted as varying preferences for women with high labor market integration due to exposure to certain sexual stereotypes early in life.

Gender Equity and Renewable Energies

The aim of this chapter is to explore the gender dimension of different aspects of renewable energy in the North and South, in particular how renewable energies can contribute to gender equity so that both women and men benefit fairly from access to energy services. The term ‘gender’ is used here deliberately rather than ‘sex’. The term ‘gender’ refers to socially constructed roles of women and men rather than biologically determined differences. These gender roles of men and women, with their accompanying responsibilities, constraints, opportunities and needs, are defined by a particular society. Gender roles are learned by children as part of their socialization process. The roles change over time and vary widely within and across cultures. Men and women play different roles in both Southern and Northern societies, although at first glance the roles in the North may not be as clearly visible as they are in the South.

Gender and Language in Ethnographic and Evolutionary Perspectives

Much research in the field of language and gender has been hampered by unquestioned a priori dualistic assumptions about contrasting gender roles for men and women. The works reviewed here all demonstrate that simplistic dualistic beliefs about what are typical male or female ways of speaking do not hold water. The variables that determine speech styles are complex and mutually interactive: place of residence, class, formality, age, and gender, and others. Women are just as capable of directive speech as men, and men, of hedged speech. Dualistic thinking about gender serves only to reinforce current hegemonies.

Population Heterogeneity and Between-Group Substitutability and Complementarity of Social Actions

This article extends a foundation for sociological theories of the micro-macro linkage in collective action. Key elements of the foundation are population heterogeneity and a model of interdependence of actions. By “population heterogeneity” I mean differences among people in the payoffs of their alternative choices. This article introduces the concepts of interpersonal substitutability and complementarity of actions between groups for analyzing their collective outcomes by extending similar concepts and methods previously introduced in the literature for interdependence of actions within a group. The article applies these theories and methods (1) to evaluate Tsebelis's theory of the relationship between crime and punishment and present distinct conclusions on the effectiveness of alternative crime control methods depending on the conditions of population heterogeneity, and (2) to clarify the role of population heterogeneity as a modifier for the effects of an increase in the gender equality of job opportunities on men's and women's gender role attitudes about the division of household labor.

Beekeeping In Adjumani District, Uganda

This study, by a local government official, takes a regional look at hives and management methods used in the Adjumani District of northern Uganda. It also looks at the gender roles of men and women as beekeeping moves from traditional to more modern methods.

Prevalence and Predictors of Testicular Self-Exam Among a Nationally Representative Sample of Men in the United States

ABSTRACT Men's gender roles and norms may influence their sexual behaviors and sexual health care practices in numerous specific ways and contexts. Health professionals encourage men's performance of testicular self-exams (TSE), yet estimates of monthly TSE from convenience samples range from 2% to 10%. In this population-based study of 655 U.S. men aged 18 to 44 years, TSE prevalence during the past month was 40.3% and was predicted by geographic location, sexual behaviors, genital self-image, and having a physical exam within the past year. National TSE prevalence rates will be useful to those who work to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with testicular cancer.

Moving toward mainstream: Perspectives on enhancing therapy with men.

Psychotherapists began sharing their clinical experiences with men's gender-related psychological issues and the challenges of addressing them in therapy during the late 1970s and early 1980s (e.g., O'Neil, 1981; Scher, 1979; Skovholt, 1978). However, it has taken several decades for these messages and the accompanying research to yield advances that are being adopted into more mainstream psychotherapeutic practices. Over the recent three decades, the theory, research, and clinical wisdom about psychotherapy with men can be viewed as falling into several main clusters. Specifically, there is literature and research providing: - General information on masculine socialization and the psychology of men. - Information about specific issues that men and male clients bring to therapy. - Information about the expectations and experiences of specific groups of men (e.g., men of differing racial/ethnic backgrounds, geographical regions, age cohorts, spiritual/religious beliefs, differing physical ability statuses). - Suggestions for addressing men's reluctance to seek psychotherapy and the challenges associated with forming therapeutic working alliances with men when they do come to therapy. - Suggestions regarding adjustments to psychotherapeutic processes for conducting effective psychotherapy with men. - Development and assessment of instruments to assess endorsement of various male norms and of aspects of men's gender role conflict and stress. Reviewing the earliest writings, some of these pioneering therapists' initial clinical observations remain highly relevant today.