What makes a ‘good man’? A mixed-methods exploration of UK adolescent attitudes towards masculinity
Affiliation
University of Chester; Staffordshire UniversityPublication Date
2023-01-24
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Stereotypes of men (e.g., strong, domineering, assertive) can harm boys’ health and contribute to the normalization of sexual harassment. Yet research on how adolescents view masculinity is limited, particularly for those growing up during the #MeToo movement. Using a mixed-methods approach, we explore beliefs about masculinity in a sample of 16 to 19 year olds growing up in the UK (N = 129). Results from the quantitative analysis show that, compared to girls, boys report feeling more comfortable with media representations of hegemonic masculinity, greater adherence to hegemonic ideology, higher self-esteem, and less engagement with the topic. Results from the qualitative analysis reflected these findings; boys’ descriptions of masculinity were more reliant on hegemonic ideals, and they were less critical of the topic than girls. Despite recent narratives on masculinity’s place in society, this study suggests that boys are complacent about societal expectations to behave in line with gender stereotypes.Citation
McNulty, A., & Birney, M. E. (2023). What makes a ‘good man’? A mixed-methods exploration of UK adolescent attitudes towards masculinity. Journal of Gender Studies, vol(issue), pages. https://doi.org/10.1080/09589236.2023.2170337Publisher
Taylor & FrancisJournal
Journal of Gender StudiesAdditional Links
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09589236.2023.2170337Type
ArticleDescription
This article is not available on ChesterRepISSN
0958-9236EISSN
1465-3869ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1080/09589236.2023.2170337