This paper examines the interplay between gender and sexuality. In particular, it looks at some reasons why mainstream society cannot bear homosexuality, or any expression of resistance to heteronormativity. The paper also considers what makes schools particularly hostile to teaching or tolerating deviance from set notions of essentialized and…

Although there is much debate about the positive effects of active sporting pursuits for the young, in reality many young people are still excluded or deterred from taking part as much as they would like. There are still particular bodily performances which are considered more suitable for taking part in mainstream sport, and invariably one of the…

This paper focuses on the resistance young men show towards consistent condom use. It is based on data generated by peer research that offer information about the distaste young men express about condoms, but also emphasise some of the physical difficulties that young men can experience when using them, which they are less willing to express. The…

The present study evaluated gender role theory as an explanation for the observed gender differences in anxiety symptoms among adolescents. Specifically, the relation between gender, gender role orientation (i.e., masculinity and femininity), self-esteem, and anxiety symptoms was examined in a community sample of 114 African Americans aged 14 to…

Information technology (IT) has been characterized as central to globalization and nation-states' competitive edge in the global economy. A highly masculinized field, IT is paradoxically characterized as gender-neutral, a field which expands opportunities for women's career and income development. For these reasons, feminist researchers regard it…

In trying to understand some of the gendered discourses that shape the management of schools as organisations in South Africa, I analyse woman principals' experiences as they try to navigate a balance between their home and work responsibilities. After their appointment as principals, some South African women face difficulties in striking the…

As couples choose to have fewer children, to have their first child later in their adult life, or to remain childfree, there is growing interest in the antecedents of these fertility choices. To examine the hypothesis that couples who choose to remain childfree have less traditional sex-role orientations than couples who choose to become parents…

TO UNDERSTAND STEREOTYPIC ITEMS IN MASCULINITY-FEMININITY (MF) SCALES (ITEMS THOUGHT TO DISCRIMINATE THE SEXES BUT SHOWING NO SEX DIFFERENCE), THE EDWARDS PERSONALITY INVENTORY (EPI) WAS ADMINISTERED TO 398 SUBJECTS UNDER MALE AND FEMALE INSTRUCTIONAL SETS. THESE INSTRUCTIONS CREATED SEX DIFFERENCES IN 13 OF 14 EPI SCALES, PRODUCING ON FIVE…

The relationship between movement, masculinity, and femininity is examined. Two connections are seen between movement and gender: movement as an expression of personality and movement as a medium for expressing personality. A survey of the literature is presented discussing society's concept of accepted sex role behavior. A study is reported in…

Examines achievement behavior of women in relation to their masculinity-femininity of self-concept and the mediating effects of the situation. While feminine women did not perform more poorly when competing against lower ability males than against lower ability females, very feminine women were more ambivalent about competing successfully than…

Examination of self-descriptions of 1,623 undergraduates (collectedd in 1958-64, 1970-74, and 1977-82) failed to support the prevailing assumption that masculinity and femininity develop independently. Rather, a positive relation was found between the presence of masculine and feminine traits within the same individual even when gender and state…

Sex role identity and personality characteristics were examined in 104 male college football players and police cadets by means of the Bem Sex Role Inventory and the California Psychological Inventory. No significant differences were found between these stereotypically "masculine" groups and normative samples of males. (CMG)

This study investigated the dimensions of sex role orientation measured by the revised Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI; S. Bem, 1974) and the revised Personal Attributes Questionnaire (PAQ; J. Spence, R. Helmreich, and J. Strapp, 1975). Participants were 651 undergraduates in introductory psychology courses. The sample was approximately 50% male and…

Research on sex role concepts among young children found that: 1) the overlap children saw between male and female characteristics increased with age; 2) girls were less sex-typed than boys; 3) the realization that sex remains constant was associated with decreased sex typing; and 4) adults were seen in less sex-typed terms than peers. (Author/MJL)

Four groups of women differing in psychological masculinity and femininity as measured by the Personal Attributes Questionnaire, participated in two laboratory situations designed to measure their typical and maximal dominance expression. (Author/MP)