Parents of firstborn male and female infants completed questionnaires concerning their perceptions of their infants. One question focused on how important it was for their children to become either very masculine or very feminine. It was predicted that the less parents stressed the importance of gender appropriateness, the less they would view…

The women's movement has shown how outdated assumptions about women block their freedom to achieve and stunt their earning power, but traditional stereotypes also exact a toll from men. Boys growing up in today's society must "prove" themselves to be full-fledged males, and are discouraged from being aesthetic, sensual, and nurturing. Athletics…

The relationships among self-reported social desirability, biological sex, and sex-role orientation are examined. The Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI) consists of 60 personality characteristics divided equally into three subscales labeled Femininity (F), Masculinity (M), and Social Desirability (SD). One hundred and twenty-six undergraduates were…

In a survey of 508 undergraduates, males reported significantly lower levels of emotional intimacy in same-sex friendship than females. Masculinity, defined in terms of "instrumental" qualities, had little effect on the degree of reported intimacy, while femininity, defined in terms of "expressive" qualities, was positively…

The Gough Femininity Scale was administered to undergraduates at an urban community college over an 11-year period. Means for male and female students remained relatively the same, which may suggest that although sexual behaviors have changed, psychological attitudes and traits have not. (CJM)

Examines the relationships among gender, gender identity, and coping in late adolescents. Females endorsed greater use of emotion-focused coping strategies than males. Late adolescents who were high in masculinity endorsed higher levels of problem-focused coping strategies. Overall, gender identity made an important and independent contribution to…

Examines how the repressed feminine principle affects the four major discourses in Umberto Eco's "The Name of the Rose." Discusses the historical relationship between the masculine and the feminine in language and religion. Uses that historical frame to guide a close textual analysis of dialectical interplay between the masculine and the…

Reviews the growing critique of the gender system being developed by heterosexual and gay male scholars in the communication field, in which a sex role-based approach to the study of masculinity is rejected and the socially constructed nature of gender is emphasized. (SR)

Using 1,043 men across 3 samples, the psychometric properties of the Gender Role Conflict Scale were examined. Next, using 130 male counseling clients across 2 samples, the relation between gender role conflict and psychological distress was examined. Male gender role conflict was significantly related to psychological distress, with the…

Contributes to scholarship regarding whether, when, and how feminist formulations of rape made their way into the mainstream by examining 25 episodes of prime-time television featuring rape as a primary plot element from 1976 through 1978. Finds that these episodes bolster hegemonic masculinity by focusing on male protagonists, depicting them as…

Explores the concept of duality in masculinity, and specifically in black masculinity, as currently presented in the superhero comic book. At an obvious and symbolic level, comic book masculinity characterizes a model of gender behavior that is slipping into the hypermasculine. (Author/SLD)

Addresses the role of race and gender construction in bias crime, discussing race and gender as situated accomplishments. Reviews dominant bias crime theories and examines the hypothesis that bias crimes are a means of "doing" gender. Suggests hegemonic masculinity as a prime motivation for bias crimes. (SLD)

Reviews three books on street gangs that examine the formation of gangs between the 1940s and 1970s (a period that predates their connection to drug trafficking), look at masculinity in gang culture following the advent of their connection to drug trafficking, and highlight the role of the gangster in American culture in the 1920s and 1930s. (SM)

Examines the sex role attributes of American-Indian women as compared to a predominately White normative group using the short form of the Bem Sex Role Inventory. Results indicate a significant difference on the masculine subscale between the two groups with American-Indian women having higher scores. Provides implications for mental health…

The pervasive violence in schools is a manifestation of gender inequality. Discourses of school violence suggest that "others" are responsible and militarist solutions are necessary. These discourses prevent recognition that violence is a symptom of social inequality. (SK)