Exploring Young Men’s Experience of Resistance to Masculine Norms

Abstract

There are costs and benefits to conforming and resisting gender norms, and this ratio likely changes during the transition to adulthood. In this paper, we explore the development of young men’s masculine norm resistance from adolescence through emerging adulthood. Using thematic analysis on interviews with cisgender young adult men who reported feeling at least somewhat gender atypical ( N = 30, Mage = 23, White = 74%), we found that: (a) men reported more direct and indirect gender norm resistance (GNR) as they aged, (b) as men felt less pressure to conform to gender norms, they reported more ease with expressing indirect GNR, and (c) that direct GNR generally paralleled developing an understanding of critical consciousness of broader social inequities. Our study answers the call to utilize a developmental approach to study men and masculinities, and in so doing, illuminates men’s dynamic navigation of masculine norms during the transition into adulthood.

When Is Masculinity “Fragile”? An Expectancy-Discrepancy-Threat Model of Masculine Identity

“…Here, ubiquity refers to the ease with which people can access and describe definitions of stereotypical masculinity. For example, in the U.S., boys and men can readily provide uniform stereotypes of masculinity and what it means to "be a man" (Nielson et al, 2022;Robertson & Shepard, 2008;Stanaland & Gaither, 2021;Way et al, 2014). This uniformity demonstrates that virtually all boys and men have-at the very least-learned these FRAGILE MASCULINITY 13 norms, with many likely also experiencing conformity expectations (Duckworth & Trautner, 2019;Levant, 2011;Levant & Richmond, 2016;Nielson, Schroeder, et al, 2020;Reigeluth & Addis, 2021;Stanaland & Gaither, 2021).…”

“…LGBTQIA+ struggle to express their authentic or actual gendered selves in response to rigid masculinity norms (Cook et al, 2019;Nielson et al, 2022). These difficulties and discrepancies may arise because the self does not develop in a social vacuum.…”

“…There are also certainly boys and men who reject or resist rigid masculinity norms, even in contexts where these norms are prevalent or even pervasive (Nielson et al, 2022;Way et al, 2014). As pictured in Figure 1, when individuals can genuinely reject the expectancy that stems from these norms, they, too, are theorized to experience no discrepancy because they reject these norms as self-relevant expectations and/or ideals.…”

“…However, to the extent that these culturally variable definitions are rigidly held, we contend that they may still elicit the conformity pressures that are central to the proposed model. When men try to resist these pressures by engaging in counter-normative behavior for their respective cultures, they can be met with ridicule that functions similarly across cultures (Hunt et al, 2016;Nielson et al, 2022;O'Connor et al, 2017;Seidler et al, 2016;Way et al, 2014). Thus, despite variations in their content, this cycle of adherence, deviation, and punishment that occurs across cultures may help explain their surprisingly universal rigidity (Bosson et al, 2021).…”

Too hunky to help: A person-centered approach to masculinity and prosocial behavior beliefs among adolescent boys

“…To achieve this aim, parents may use explicit instruction (e.g., saying things like “Take that off - boys don’t wear dresses”). Such experiences may cause boys to feel pressure to adhere to masculine norms years after the original interactions (Nielson et al, 2022). These socializing practices may lead boys to adhere more closely to masculine norms, but also lead boys to prize popularity and avoid social embarrassment because social power is connected to masculine ideals.…”