Psychology of Men and Masculinity

Not so random acts of violence: Shared social–ecological features of violence against women and school shootings.
The present study examines an understudied potential warning sign of school shootings: violence against women (VAW). Utilizing the social–ecological model of violence prevention, we employed directed content analysis to determine the prevalence of acts and social–ecological features of VAW among profiles of 59 boys/men who perpetrated school shootings between 1966 and 2018. The majority of shootings profiled occurred in the United States (47, 79.7%), followed by Canada (five, 8.5%), Finland (two, 3.4%), Germany (two, 3.4%), Brazil (one, 1.7%), Scotland (one, 1.7%), and Ukraine (one, 1.7%). Results demonstrated a strong presence of VAW among profiled school shooters, with almost 70% perpetrating VAW and the identification of frequent features of VAW that cut across the social–ecological levels, most notably (the enactment of and failure to meet expectations of) hegemonic masculinity and normalization of violence. Implications for research and intervention are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
The struggle tells me I don’t belong, yet I will stand up and show up: A psychosociocultural exploration of how Latino/x male undergraduates’ name, process, and manifest their identities.
Latino/x undergraduate males continue to face unique challenges in higher education that call for greater exploration. This qualitative study explored how Latino/x males name, process, and manifest their salient identities. Using a psychosociocultural approach (Gloria & Rodriguez, 2000), we interviewed 10 self-identified Latino/x undergraduate males at a predominantly White university located in the midwestern United States yielding four metathemes per a multistep content analysis. Based on students’ narratives, four metathemes (i.e., Naming What I Know, Awareness, Action, and Deepening the Narrative: Pick a Struggle) emerged and provided greater understanding of Latino/x males’ educational struggles and identity strengths. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Experiences of pregnancy loss in Israeli first-time expecting fathers: A qualitative study.
The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of pregnancy loss in first-time expecting fathers. Participants were 14 Jewish Israeli men who experienced pregnancy loss that occurred at least 3 months before their participation and who had no other children at the time of the loss. Semistructured interviews were conducted. Thematic analysis revealed five theme clusters. The first was “consolidating father identity”: Men had been engaged in consolidating their identities as fathers as pregnancy progressed and felt this identity was lost following the pregnancy loss. The second cluster was “experiencing the loss”: Shock, confrontation, and somatization were the main reactions. The third cluster was “reconstructing meaning”: fathers engaged in meaning reconstruction to make sense of and cope with the loss. The fourth cluster was “experiencing disenfranchisement”: Social and self-disenfranchisement were found as barriers to grief. The fifth cluster was “preparing for future fatherhood”: Fathers were concerned that the loss would negatively affect their attachment with future children. Findings suggest that pregnancy loss may lead to deconstruction of the fatherhood identity, thereby necessitating meaning reconstruction processes to take place. They also suggest that men oscillate between confronting and avoiding their loss. Finally, these findings highlight a need for individual and group interventions as well as implementation of inclusive communication within health care systems to support men in their grief after pregnancy loss. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
The externalization of suffering among male survivors of child sexual abuse: “A deeply buried rage that must come out”.
Studies on child sexual abuse (CSA) have mostly focused on female survivors. However, men are not spared from this type of abuse, as one in 10 men report having experienced CSA before the age of 18. Some adult male victims of CSA, in trying to cope with their history of sexual abuse, overinvest in typically masculine behaviors, such as aggression and rule breaking, which are considered externalizing behaviors. This study aimed to (a) describe the range of externalizing behaviors in adult men who have experienced CSA and (b) explore the functions underlying these behaviors from the perspective of male survivors. Individual semistructured interviews were conducted with 26 Canadian male survivors, aged between 31 and 66, who were recruited via CSA community services. A qualitative-directed content analysis was performed, guided by Achenbach and Rescorla’s taxonomy of externalizing behaviors. Three main categories of externalizing behaviors emerged from respondents’ narratives: (a) aggressive behaviors to express anger and protect integrity; (b) rule-breaking behaviors to protest against an injustice; (c) alcohol and drug use to avoid suffering triggered by CSA. These findings highlight the diversity of behaviors in which male survivors report engaging in response to CSA. Even if they may express their suffering in an explosive way, it is important to support male victims appropriately while recognizing the functions underlying their externalizing behaviors. Approaches to supporting survivors’ recovery should address their feelings of anger and sense of injustice, the use of avoidance-based coping mechanisms, and masculine norms. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
A qualitative analysis of beliefs about masculinity and gender socialization among U.S. mothers and fathers of school-age boys.
Internalization of culturally dominant masculine gender role norms can have harmful impacts on the physical and emotional health of men and boys. Although parents play an important role in influencing gender-related beliefs in their children, limited research has examined how contemporary parents conceptualize masculinity and their role in gender socialization. The present study conducted 13 focus groups with Black, Latino, and White parents (N = 83) of school-age boys from rural and urban areas in a large Southeastern state in the United States. Parent beliefs about masculinity existed across a spectrum from “rigid” (representing narrow, culturally dominant masculine norms) to “flexible” (defining a broader set of behaviors and attitudes as masculine). In general, more flexible beliefs were expressed by mothers than fathers and by White than Black and Latino parents. Most parents reacted positively to messages about potential harms associated with restrictive masculinity norms; however, many saw these issues primarily as parenting challenges (e.g., teaching boys to resist negative peer influences) rather than related to gender socialization. Some unique themes also emerged within racial/ethnic groups, with Black parents noting the impact of racial discrimination on societal expectations for Black men and fathers and Latino parents describing generational shifts toward more equitable gender role attitudes and parenting practices. These findings highlight the need for more complex and nuanced messages about masculinity norms and their relationship to health and well-being and can help inform the development of interventions to promote healthy masculine gender socialization, increase health equity, and prevent injury and violence. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Correction to Li (2021).
Reports an error in "How do Chinese fathers express love? Viewing paternal warmth through the eyes of Chinese fathers, mothers, and their children" by Xuan Li (Psychology of Men & Masculinities, 2021[Jul], Vol 22[3], 500-511). In the original article, information about article funding from the Humanities and Social Science Research Project of the Chinese Ministry of Education was missing from the author note and has been added now in the erratum. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2020-68194-001). Parental warmth is vital for child adjustment, but the expressive practices of parental warmth as gendered and cultural practices have remained understudied so far. The present study examines the expression of warmth among contemporary Chinese fathers who, based on inferences from traditional Chinese emotion philosophy and Confucian family ethics, have been typically portrayed as strict, stern, and inexpressive disciplinarians of their children. This study aims to understand the expression of paternal warmth in the backdrop of China’s drastically transformed sociocultural landscape. Interview data were collected from fathers, mothers, and children in 133 two-parent families in southeast China (girls = 51.9%; Mage = 9.54 years, SD = 0.77), who were asked individually about how the father in their family demonstrated love and affection, among a variety of fathering behaviors. Thematically coded interview transcripts suggested that today’s Chinese fathers are willing to display parental warmth toward their children, contrary to stereotypes. However, Chinese fathers prefer nonverbal expressions such as by providing instrumental support or showing physical intimacy, whereas verbal displays of love and affection were not preferred. The children noticed and valued their fathers’ coveted expression of love through instrumental support and the use of an authoritative parenting style. These findings shed light on the nuances in fathering behaviors and processes in contemporary Chinese families and call for culturally informed reflection and revision of the conceptualization and measurement of warmth in fathering and parenting scholarship. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
Men’s experiences of infertility: A metaethnographic systematic review.
Infertility is recognized as a worldwide major health problem. Yet much of the research is focused on women, despite infertility impacting men and women equally. This review aimed to explore adult men’s experiences of infertility (any type and any cause), as they have predominately been overlooked in reproductive research. A systematic literature search across five databases identified 15 studies meeting the inclusion criteria. A metaethnographic synthesis generated three metathemes, each with two subthemes: “Crippling Social Pressure” capturing the oppressive social, cultural, and masculine norms and expectations placed upon participants, “Emotional Rollercoaster” describing the emotional upheaval of infertility for participants, and “Holding onto Hope” highlighting how participants try to make sense of their experiences and cope with their infertility journey. The findings have important clinical implications, especially in the health care setting, where there is a need for a gendered approach in all aspects of infertility diagnosis and treatment. The inclusion of men would have a significant impact on their emotional well-being. Tackling the stigma and widely held masculine norms would encourage health care professionals to be more compassionate and break down barriers for men to seek support. Without such changes, men are at risk of continuing to experience their emotional rollercoaster on their own. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
“I could just exist … not in a box”: Experiential examinations of masculinity within a contemporary men’s group.
Traditional Western conceptualizations of masculinity portray men as stoic, strong, and competitive, leaving little room for men to know and express more vulnerable parts of themselves. Men’s groups, or group-level interventions to support issues of men’s health, may be helpful in challenging stigmas that limit help-seeking and emotional expression. To better understand the phenomenological experience of individuals participating in men’s groups and how attitudes toward masculinity change, we interviewed 14 men enrolled in a 6-week men’s group program. Based on our analyses of the interviews, we present a grounded theory explanation for how men come to understand and reshape their attitudes toward masculinity. We found that men’s groups provide an arena where vulnerability can be expressed and received with empathy and respect to give rise to experiences of belonging. This gives men new information on what it means to be as “strong as a man.” (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)
The gender socialization experiences of highly sensitive men.
High sensory processing sensitivity is a genetic temperament trait inherited by up to 30% of the population. Individuals with the trait, called highly sensitive persons, possess distinctive temperamental characteristics including increased depth of cognitive processing, overarousability, increased empathy and emotional responsiveness, and sensitivity to subtleties. Many of the traits associated with high sensory processing sensitivity conflict with dominant hegemonic masculine ideology in the United States. Despite this evident contradiction, there has been no research into the gender socialization experiences of highly sensitive men. This study sought to develop a greater understanding of the masculine socialization experiences of highly sensitive men through the use of interpretive phenomenological analysis. Fourteen highly sensitive men aged 25–79, M = 47, participated in a series of three semistructured interviews that focused on (a) their experiences with gender socialization as a highly sensitive boy/man, (b) their present experiences with gender norms, and (c) the personal meaning of their identity as a highly sensitive man. Analysis indicated four themes from participants’ experiences: (a) gender role conflict, (b) negative self-evaluation and mental health concerns, (c) sensitive intersection with race and ethnicity, (d) sensitive code-switching. These findings suggest that highly sensitive men may face unique difficulties in relation to traditional masculine socialization, which lead to various psychological concerns. Additionally, these findings imply that hegemonic masculine norms create an inherently unsupportive environment for highly sensitive boys and men and that sensory processing sensitivity should be taken into consideration by researchers and clinicians in understanding the intersectional experiences of men. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)

Psychology of Men & Masculinities - Vol 25, Iss 2