Traditional Masculine Role Research Articles

Shift in Traditional Masculine Role Amid COVID-19: A Comprehensive Overview From Bangladesh

Gender has been an essential category of analysis that has been culturally and historically embedded in society since the 90s century (Scott, 1986). Gender is not a set of defined traits of masculine and feminine roles;instead, it is connected to social, economic, and psychological aspects. This research intends to examine the changing pattern of conventional conservative masculinity amid the COVID-19 epidemic,which instigates male dominance and supremacy and prescribes an fundamental and objective manner of men's roles. Covid-19, a worldwide pandemic, brought immense health as well as socioeconomic crisis for both men and women.As men and women experience the catastrophes differently,a gendered dimension of assessing their condition due to such a pandemic is necessary. Consequently, this paper aims to explore men's miscellaneous experiences, including their socioeconomic crisis, struggle, and coping mechanisms in that outbreak period. Connell's theory of hegemonic masculinity, Talcott Parsons' functionalist theory, and Judith Lorber'sgender role theory were used to assess findings and to comprehend traditional masculinity. According to findings, men face a massive change in their way of living due to the pandemic, which brought both positive changes in their behavior as well as creating an extra burden to bear socioeconomic turmoil. However, men's involvement in family care work, participation in parenting, contribution to creating flexible conjugal relations, and agreement in the deterioration of precarious masculinity indicate a shifting prototype of traditional masculinity. Similarly, masculinity is not just a linear, homogenous, or rigid construction; it has multiple overlapping variables that evaluate the pandemic from a gendered dimension.

The Social Stigmatization of Stay-at-Home Fathers in Pakistan

The stigmatization of stay-at-home fathers (SAHFs) has been widely studied, but little research has examined how these experiences vary between rural and urban areas. In this qualitative study, 20 SAHFs in Islamabad, Pakistan were recruited through purposive sampling and interviewed using interview guide. Results show that most men did not choose to become SAHFs, and were involuntarily thrust into the role due to unemployment, lack of appropriate employment opportunities, or disability. These men faced stigmatization, social isolation, and labeling from their friends, family, and community, resulting in their increasing stress and anxiety. Additionally, the study found that rural and urban residential backgrounds played a significant role in the experiences of SAHFs. Examining the concept of caring masculinities, the study discovered that cultural differences, adherence to gendered norms, and severe stigmatization made it difficult for SAHFs in a non-Western culture context to depart from traditional masculine roles and embrace caring masculinities.

Women’s Role in the Tunisian Process of Democratisation

The significant role of women in all fields of the Tunisian society has been decisive since the country’s struggle for independence from the colonial power, France, and during the state-building process of the post-colonial period. Furthermore, the events of and after the Arab Spring brought about a more active role for women’s rights activists, which resulted in a widespread debate on gender equality. However, despite the efforts of the Tunisian Government to ensure protection against the discrimination of women, the growing socioeconomic crisis, amplified by the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, brought to the surface the difficulties of vulnerable groups, including women. Women engaged in rural activities were more at risk of facing deteriorating circumstances. In this context, the current study examines the relationship between the process of democratisation and the role women can play in the shaping of the political field and vice versa. In addition to applying statistical indicators, the article verifies the main theses of the research in the empirical part due to the incorporation of qualitative data collected from interviews conducted with five representatives/activists of local Tunisian NGOs. Although international relations themselves remain strongly gendered, the mobilisation of women’s rights activists can contribute to overwriting traditional masculine and feminine roles in public versus private spheres, and thus can result in a more gender-friendly environment.

Changing gender role behaviors of south Asian men in different gender regimes: A comparative study of COVID‐19 lockdown in Pakistan and Germany

This comparative study of COVID‐19 lockdown aims to underline changes in gender role behaviors of South‐Asian men (husbands) living in different gender regimes: Pakistan and Germany. As a nascent contribution to existing discourses of political science (gender regimes), international migration, and men and masculinity, the study compares self‐reported changes in husbands' masculine and feminine role behaviors with perceptions of their wives during the lockdown period. A gender role behavior scale is adapted to design an online survey and collect data through convenient and snowball sampling techniques. By computing analysis of variance (ANOVA) with repeated measures, the study infers that the COVID‐19 driven first lockdown has limited the mobility of men (husbands). Thus, they have reported a significant decline in their traditional masculine role behaviors (outside the home) in both countries. Nonetheless, a subsequent increase does not appear in their feminine role behaviors. Although temporary suspension of their breadwinning roles due to lockdown has allowed them to modify their gender role behaviors by sharing increased domestic and caregiving tasks in families, a significant change does not appear in their behaviors. Findings conclude that social upheaval (COVID‐19) does not convince men (husbands) to interchange their masculine and feminine role behaviors in families. Thus, inferences support key prims of bio‐socialists that gender role behaviors are inherited and may change through cultural advancements (through gender education and enabling legal frameworks) in relatively less gender‐egalitarian societies and proper ‘gendered integration’ initiatives in relatively more gender‐egalitarian societies.

Conflicted masculinities: understanding dilemmas and (re)configurations of masculinity among men in long-term relationships with female sex workers, in Kampala, Uganda

This ethnographic study explores the experience of men in long-term relationships with sex workers and their construction of masculine identities in Kampala, Uganda. Data were collected in 2019 and comprise in-depth interviews with 13 male partners and two group discussions of women with long-term male partners. Thematic analysis used an intersectional lens to frame reconfigurations of gender and masculinity in the context of relationships with sex workers. All men had been clients of sex workers before progressing to become long-term partners. We discuss the complex ways in which men participated in value systems of respectability and reputation to (re)configure gender relations that made sense of their long-term relationships with sex workers. Men viewed their relationships with women through the normative lens of traditional masculine roles associated with monopoly over a partner’s sexuality, provider and father. However, poverty, HIV, the failure to have exclusive sexual rights over a partner, and the shame associated with sex work intersected and disrupted masculinities. Despite this, men found meaning in these relationships through the woman’s commitment to the relationship, her financial support, her help in accessing HIV services, and the children from the relationship, thereby attaining respectability and avoiding a crisis of masculinity.

Satisfaction with Singlehood in Never-Married Singles: The Role of Gender and Culture

Aim: The aim of this study was to reveal the role of gender and culture (German vs Polish) in Satisfaction With Singlehood (SWS). Background: Due to the number of singles increasing over the past decades, the assessment of the extent to which such people are satisfied with their singlehood and establishment of specific variables enabling satisfaction with life in singlehood to be predicted seem valid. An additional factor was gender and culture, as feminine and masculine roles are defined mainly by familial and matrimonial life and diverse cultural context. Methods: Study 1 encompassed 512 never married childless singles above 30 years old, Study 2: 196 Polish never-married singles, and Study 3: 265 German never-married singles (pairfam data). Research methods were: Satisfaction with singlehood, Multidimensional Sexuality Questionnaire (MSQ), Inventory of Gender Assessment (IPP), Multidimensional Self-Esteem Inventory (MSEI), UCLA III Loneliness Scale, Romantic Beliefs Scale (RBS), Interpersonal Competences Questionnaire (ICQ), Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). German sample was retrieved from The German Panel Analysis of Intimate Relationships and Family Dynamics – pairfam. Results: Study 1 revealed significant medium effects of gender and country, with women and German sample reporting a higher SWS. Study 2 showed different prediction models for Polish sample. SWS was explained by satisfaction with life, romantic belief, loneliness, and competence in women. The predictors in Polish men were: initiating relationships and internal sexual control. Study 3 revealed willingness to have a partner as the only predictor in German women, and in German men: satisfaction with life, loneliness and mating confidence. Conclusion: Satisfaction With Singlehood (SWS) was higher in women than men, regardless of culture. German single never-married women were the most satisfied group. Traditional masculine role predicted higher SWS in single men. Satisfaction with singlehood proved to be separate from satisfaction with life.

Young Women Treating Men with Borderline Personality Disorder: A Challenge for Psychotherapy Integration

Young female therapists may struggle with treating heterosexual men who adhere to traditional masculine role norms. This challenge is exacerbated when these men present with borderline personality disorder. Certain evidence-based therapeutic interventions such as irreverent humor, confrontation, and teaching mentalization may require female therapists to violate typical female gender role expectations, which could be intimidating for some women. The authors use a clinical case study to demonstrate ways in which a young female therapist confronts her client’s devaluing behaviors while working through her conflicted feelings about gender role norms. A qualitative analysis revealed that through integrating therapeutic interventions the therapist addressed the client’s out of control sexual behaviors and interpersonal problems. Outcomes showed that over the course of treatment the client’s presenting problem shifted from managing his out of control sexual behaviors to self-reflecting and understanding his character flaws that interfere with the possibility of maintaining a healthy romantic relationship. The authors conclude with recommendations for new clinicians and supervisors, highlighting the importance of considering gender and implicit biases within the therapeutic relationship.

Relación entre las normas de género y el consumo de alcohol: una revisión sistemática

There are different profiles of alcohol consumption for men and women, and different courses and prognoses associated with problems caused by alcohol abuse. There is evidence of these differences by sex, but research on their links to differences associated with gender dimensions is scarcer. In order to know what has been researched on the subject, this article reviews the literature regarding the relationship between conformity with gender norms and alcohol use and/or abuse in adults. A systematic review was conducted using the electronic databases of PubMed, PsycINFO and ScienceDirect. Twenty-four articles published in English or Spanish were included and analysed. The main findings were: 1) conformity to norms associated with traditional masculine role (dominance, womanising, aggressiveness, risk behaviours) is related to greater alcohol use; 2) conformity to norms associated with traditional feminine role (interest in home life and family care) is related with lower alcohol use. These findings provide evidence of the relationship between dimensions associated with gender and drinking. It is considered that the possibilities of modifying beliefs and gender patterns linked to risk behaviours is an aspect to be taken into account in the field of prevention, with the development of gender measures a necessary task to further deepen the study of these relationships.

African American prostate cancer survivorship: Exploring the role of social support in quality of life after radical prostatectomy

ABSTRACTPurpose: The aim of this study was to explore the African American prostate cancer survivorship experience following radical prostatectomy and factors contributing to quality of life during survival. Design: African American men who were part of a larger prostate cancer cohort were invited to participate in a focus group. Eighteen open-ended questions were designed by the study team and an experienced moderator to elicit participants' survivorship experiences. Results: Twelve men consented to participate in the study. Emergent themes included views of prostate cancer in the African American community, perceptions of normalcy, emotional side effects following radical prostatectomy, and social support involvement and impact during recovery. Conclusions: Previous findings suggest that African American men may experience more distress than Caucasian men when facing typical prostate cancer side effects. Traditional masculine role norms and negative perceptions of “disease disclosure” in the African American community could be contributing to the distress reported by some in this study. Strengthening social support systems by promoting more prosocial coping and help-seeking behaviors early in the survivorship journey may help bypass the detrimental health effects associated with masculine role identification, resulting in improved quality of life throughout the lengthy survival period anticipated for these men.

Identifying different typologies of experiences and coping strategies in men with rheumatoid arthritis: a Q-methodology study

ObjectiveTo identify typologies of experiences and coping strategies of men with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).DesignQ-methodology (a qualitative and quantitative approach to grouping people according to their subjective opinion). Men with RA...

Masculine Ideology, Sexual Communication, and Sexual Self-Efficacy Among Parenting Adolescent Couples.

This study examined the relationship between traditional masculine role norms (status, toughness, anti-femininity) and psychosocial mechanisms of sexual risk (sexual communication, sexual self-efficacy) among young, low-income, and minority parenting couples. Between 2007 and 2011, 296 pregnant adolescent females and their male partners were recruited from urban obstetrics clinics in Connecticut. Data regarding participants' beliefs in masculine role norms, frequency of general sex communication and sexual risk communication, and sexual self-efficacy were collected via computer-assisted self-interviews. Generalized estimating equation(GEE) models were used to test for actor effects (whether a person's masculine role norms at baseline influence the person's own psychosocial variables at 6-month follow-up) and partner effects (whether a partner's masculine role norms at baseline influence an actor's psychosocial variables at 6-month follow-up). Results revealed that higher actor status norms were significantly associated with more sexual self-efficacy, higher actor toughness norms were associated with less sexual self-efficacy, and higher actor anti-femininity norms were significantly associated with less general sex communication, sexual risk communication, and sexual self-efficacy. No partner effects were found. These results indicate a need for redefining masculine role norms through family centered approaches in pregnant or parenting adolescent couples to increase sexual communication and sexual self-efficacy. Further research is needed to understand partner effects in the context of a relationship and on subsequent sexual risk behavior.

Familism and Health Care Provision to Hispanic Older Adults.

The Hispanic older adult population's rapid growth calls for an awareness of values that can affect the rendering and receipt of care. Familism, or familismo, a traditional Hispanic value, places importance of family over the self and can potentially affect health care perceptions and practices for Hispanic older adults. The current article discusses familism, which is upheld by some Hispanic older adults, and the potential for underuse of health care services. The traditional feminine role, marianismo, and masculine role, machismo, are considered, as well as implications for how decision making may be made by family members rather than the patient. Clinical implications for the provision of health care to Hispanic older adults are provided, along with the importance of considering acculturation and ethnic heterogeneity. Health care management strategies that reflect recognition and respect of familism, yet emphasize optimization of adherence and self-care, are described.

Symptoms Among Partners, Family, and Friends of Individuals with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Associations with Social Support Behaviors, Gender, and Relationship Status

Social support represents an important recovery factor for individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Nevertheless, partners, family, and friends who take on the role of caregiver for individuals with PTSD might face multiple difficulties. For example, they are at risk for developing anxiety and depressive symptoms, which could negatively affect their ability to offer support. This study examined the associations between the difficulties of individuals with PTSD (i.e., symptoms and level of functioning), their caregivers’ (partners, family, and friends) anxiety and depressive symptoms, and social support behaviors according to 2 variables: relationship status and gender. Sixty-five individuals with PTSD and either their partner, family member, or friend filled out questionnaires and participated in a trauma-oriented discussion. Social support behaviors were coded. Results revealed no associations between the difficulties of individuals with PTSD and their caregivers’ symptoms. However, caregivers’ depressive symptoms were negatively associated with the quality of some of their social support behaviors. Moreover, relationship status and gender were significant moderators, indicating stronger negative associations between anxiety and depressive symptoms and some social support behaviors of men and caregiving partners. Male caregivers could have difficulties offering appropriate support and responding to traditional masculine roles (e.g., being strong and self-reliant) when they report symptoms themselves. Partners are particularly involved in the everyday life of individuals with PTSD. Thus, they could have difficulties keeping an optimal emotional distance to offer support when they report symptoms themselves. Future directions as well as clinical implications are discussed.

Informing school-led intervention and prevention of sexual violence against girls at school: voices from the school playground

abstract Despite global and national interventions to stop violence in schools, violence against girls is still pervasive in South African schools. School cultures and practices that replicate traditional dominant masculine roles and positioning grant power and licence to boys to abuse girls, irrespective of statutory legislation and policy provisions. This article examines through the lens of hegemonic masculinities how a culture of sexual violence against girls at school operates as a reproduction of and re-enactment of dominant forms of patriarchy and gender power relations within the larger community. Using data from an ethnographic study of township school girls’ experiences during break time play, it was found that girls were exposed to various forms of implicit sexual violence. The article argues that unspoken, unseen and unheard sexual violence against girls at school imitates the gender structures of schools and wider society. It reveals that traditional policy-driven, school-led interventions are inadequate to curb the menace of sexual violence against girls in all its nuances.

Men Learning Through Life (and Men’s Sheds)

This Futures column shares insights about men's learning beyond work, based on several decades of research in men's learning in international community contexts, summarized in our recent book, Men Learning Through Life (Golding, Mark, & Foley, 2014). In the final chapter, we ask why men's learning and men's sheds have recently been widely embraced in places like Australia but not in the United States and Canada. In the 1960s and 1970s, Australian masculinity was defined by dominance and athleticism; yet, by the 1990s, Australia led a critical examination of masculinities. Weaver-Hightower (2003) provided clues why this perspective tends not to be heard in the United States. He pointed out that gender studies often exclude the male perspective and take place within an ambivalent culture that feels threatened by a critical look into the traditional masculine role. This point is pertinent to our careful attempts in our book to validate some men's learning places and spaces, such as through men's sheds, within the context of these contradictory ideologies. In Australia and many other developed nations, adult and community education has tended to be a women's sector, where many older men do not feel welcomed: Indeed, some men feel patronized. Veronica McGivney (1999) documented the nature and extent of missing men in adult education and training. She found that although the percentages of men and women involved in education are similar in most developed nations, older men are largely absent. In essence, when learning becomes more discretionary and less hands-on or vocational, many older men tend not to participate. In most developed nations, the overwhelming emphasis of adult education is on vocational training. Very little thought is given to what people, particularly men, want and need to learn to re-create and broaden their identities beyond their working lives. Learning Needs of Older Men Beyond Paid Work Although Schuller and Watson (2009) noted research on gender differences in adult education is scarce, my research suggests that any educational system that operates from a deficit model, treating older men as students, clients, or customers, is at best, insensitive and, at worst, patronizing. Most educational programs do not account for personal, social, and community interests and needs of the learners (including their diverse masculinities). Many adults with limited education or resources cannot find appropriate education programs. Adult education often reinforces inequalities through hierarchies, formal assessment, and work- or market-based approaches. Older people have different learning needs: to cope with new non-working identities, changes in mobility, health, financial, and living arrangements, as well as changes in personal and family relationships. As Schuller and Watson (2009) put it, [T]here can be few more important learning tasks than learning to make sense of the life you have lived (p. 109). While older men have much they need to learn to cope with radical changes as they age, they are much less likely to participate in formal educational programs provided to teach skills. In essence, older men tend to avoid programs that patronize or shame them for their lack of knowledge. Off the shelf vocationally oriented adult education and training programs are often perceived by many older men to be unattractive and totally unsuited to them. When I first naively grazed as a researcher into the area of men's learning, which McGivney accurately describes in the foreword of our book as a minefield, I was assured older men were missing because they were reluctant to learn, and there was nothing they needed to know. Our Australian research shows most men need and want to learn, but not necessarily in formal, cognitive, literary, and decontextualized ways. Older men in Australia generally prefer to learn in familiar places and spaces, working hands-on with regular groups, focused on what they know and can share with other men. …

The Relationship Between Conformity to Masculine Norms and Men's Health Behaviors: Testing a Multiple Mediator Model

Relationships between men’s scores on subscales of the Conformity to Masculine Norms Inventory-46 (CMNI-46) and the Health Behavior Inventory-20 (HBI-20) are complex. Some subscales appear to act as risk factors, as predicted by the Gender Role Strain Paradigm (GRSP), and others as protective buffers, as predicted by positive masculinity and social norms theories. We compared the relative strengths of these two theories in explaining the buffering effects by assessing the roles of two theorized positive aspects of the traditional masculine role (general self-efficacy and emotional stability) and a key construct of social norms theory (perceptions of men’s normative health behaviors) in mediating the relationships between CMNI-46 and HBI-20. We evaluated a multiple mediator model of these relationships with 585 men who responded to an online survey. Emotional stability was not a mediator, but general self-efficacy and perceptions of normative health behaviors together partially mediated the relationship between CMNI-46 and HBI-20, transmitting a protective buffering effect. However, an examination of the individual mediating effects indicated that perceptions of normative health behaviors better accounted for the buffering effect. The results are discussed in terms of future research, implications for health care practitioners, and limitations.

Um Bando de louco: Corinthians and masculinity in Boleiros and Linha de passe

The recent success of teams like Sport Club Corinthians Paulista, champion of the 2012 Copa Libertadores de America and the 2012 FIFA Club World Cup, exhibits the excellence of Brazilian soccer in today's global society. Even though these triumphs convey the country's pride for its unique style of play, the famed team from Sao Paulo and many of its followers uphold traditional masculine roles through aggressive stadium behavior, the presence of violent hooligans, and an obsession for glory. Films such as Boleiros--era uma vez o futebol (1998) directed by Ugo Giorgetti, and Linha de passe (2008) directed by Walter Salles and Daniela Thomas, present Sao Paulo's most popular club and its societal impact. The following study analyzes the presentation of Corinthians and its fans in the aforementioned films and pro poses that the team's success unites Brazilians, specifically those of the lower class, while also fortifying a patriarchal Brazil. Currently Brazil holds five World Cup titles, more than any other country. Janet Lever suggests that the success of the Brazilian game creates a national pride and serves as a unifying force in the country. Furthermore she concludes that soccer in metropolises like Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro assist in eliminating the social distance created by the diverse ethnic, nation al, and religious backgrounds of the population (Lever 14, 48). Notwithstanding that soccer in Brazil helps to unify the nation, it also contributes to the establishment of a heteronormative society. R. W. Connell suggests that people's specific behavior constitutes their masculinity. She explains that violence, domination, athleticism and sexual conquest represent typical masculine characteristics (67). Presently, sport tends to define masculinity more than any other phenomenon and according to Juan Jose Sebreli, sporting competitions in patriarchal societies like Spain, Italy, and Latin America institute traditional virile roles such as aggression, physical strength, toughness, an obsession to win, boasting, and the desire to dominate the inferior (Connell 54; 253-54). Furthermore, Connell proposes that the institutional organization of public sporting events and men's sporting prowess undermine feminist rhetoric while also strengthening the notion of masculine supremacy and governing power (54). Even though bodily performances of male athletes often symbolize male dominance on the field of play, the spectator also displays traditional male roles. In particular, Soccer hooligans violently participate in sporting events in and outside stadiums. These fervent fan groups, known as Torcidas organizadas in Brazil, regularly provoke turmoil during soccer matches and in many cases kill rival members (Sebreli 49; Dunning 156). Sebreli adds that these youth subcultures typically exhibit sexist, nationalistic, and aggressive male traits (70). Although various studies propose that factors such as social status, region al differences, contrasting religious beliefs, and contradicting political views contribute to conflict between rival fans, many hooligans act aggressively in order to defend their team, territory/stadium, and masculine identity (Dunning 148, 155, 158; Dunning, Murphy, Waddington 218-24; Silva 1). Moreover, Dunning proposes that men living in patriarchal societies are expected to fight to defend family and country and these traits carry over into soccer spectacles (155). Humberto Abarca and Mauricio Sepulveda come to similar conclusions in their research over barras bravas in Chile. The study equates the hooligans to warriors participating in battle to protect their homeland while also striving to prove their excellence and superiority against rivals, both factors similarly demonstrating traditional masculine characteristics (165-67). In Brazil, press coverage recognizes spectators as an important, if not influential, aspect of the game, although many times this increased media attention is due to violence (Lever 84). …

"Indenturing the Body": Traditional Masculine Role Norms, Body Image Discrepancy, and Muscularity in a Sample of South African Indian Boys

This paper investigates the relationship between traditional masculine role norms, body image discrepancy, body appearance schemas, and sociocultural attitudes toward appearance in a sample of 495 South African Indian school going boys aged 13 to 18 years. Constructs were measured using the Masculine Role Norms Inventory, Lynch and Zellner’s Body Figure Drawings (1999), Appearance Schemas Inventory, and the Sociocultural Attitudes towards Appearance Scale-3. Analysis revealed a localized hegemonic masculinity of nonviolence, and a significant association between traditional masculinity norms of status-seeking, heteronormativity, anti-femininity, and restrictive emotionality, with body image discrepancy. Sociocultural attitudes towards appearance favoured athletic muscularity as a body ideal coinciding with heterosexist scripts, perceptions of mesomorph physiques in Bollywood cinema, and steroid use.

Is Normative Male Alexithymia Associated with Relationship Satisfaction, Fear of Intimacy and Communication Quality among Men in Relationships?

This study investigated the relationships between Normative Male Alexithymia (NMA), Relationship Satisfaction, Fear of Intimacy, and Communication Quality among men in relationships. NMA is the inability of men to put emotions into words posited to result from traditional masculine role socialization, and reflected in the endorsement of and conformity to traditional masculine norms (Levant et al, 2006). Previous research has found a moderate, negative relationship between alexithymia and relationship satisfaction (Humphreys, Wood, & Parker, 2009). It was hypothesized that NMA would negatively correlate with Relationship Satisfaction and Communication Quality but would positively correlate with Fear of Intimacy. A sample of 175 men from university and community sources volunteered for the study. All three hypotheses were supported by the findings. These findings set the stage for future explorations into the effects of the results of masculine gender role socialization, such as Normative Male Alexithymia, on romantic relationships.

Celluloid devils: a research study of male nurses in feature films

To report a study of how male nurses are portrayed in feature films. It was hypothesized that male nurses are frequently portrayed negatively or stereotypically in the film media, potentially having a negative impact on male nurse recruitment and the public's perception of male nurses. An interpretive, qualitative methodology guided by insights into hegemonic masculinity and structured around a set of collective case studies (films) was used to examine the portrayal of male nurses in feature films made in the Western world from 1900 to 2007. Over 36,000 feature film synopses were reviewed (via CINAHL, ProQuest and relevant movie-specific literature) for the keyword 'nurse' and 'nursing' with an additional search for films from 1900 to 2010 for the word 'male nurse'. Identified films were labelled as 'cases' and analysed collectively to determine key attributes related to men in nursing and explore them for the emergence of concepts and themes related to the image of male nurses in films. A total of 13 relevant cases (feature films) were identified with 12 being made in the USA. Most films portrayed male nurses negatively and in ways opposed to hegemonic masculinity, as effeminate, homosexual, homicidal, corrupt or incompetent. Few film images of male nurses show them in traditional masculine roles or as clinically competent or self-confident professionals. Feature films predominantly portray male nurses negatively. Given the popularity of feature films, there may be negative effects on recruitment and on the public's perception of male nurses.