Masculine gender role conflict and stress in relation to parental attachment and separation.

Abstract

In this study, the authors hypothesized that men's own gender role strain and estimates of their fathers' gender role strain, would be associated with less attachment to, and more psychological separation from, their parents. Two hundred four college students completed the Gender-Role Conflict Scale, the Masculine Gender Role Stress Scale, the Parental Attachment Questionnaire, and the Psychological Separation Inventory. Results indicate that (a) men who perceived their fathers as having less gender role conflict and stress, and who viewed themselves with somewhat less gender role conflict, reported closer attachments to both parents and that (b) men who experienced lower levels of gender role conflict and stress, and who perceived their fathers experienced lower levels of gender role stress, reported less psychological separation from both parents. This painful separation process by which many very young boys are shamed into withdrawing from their mothers more than they naturally want to, and then are only partially nurtured by their fathers, is a devastating disruption in a boy's emotional life. It is too often vigorously defended or even celebrated as a natural movement forward for the young boy, and inevitable

Parental Attachment, Inter-Parental Conflict and Late Adolescent’s Self-Efficacy

“…Finally, in this study majority of respondents were female. Previous studies (DeFranc & Mahalik, 2002;Ross & Fuertes, 2010;Sprecher & Sedikides, 1993) indicated that female express themselves more than men and reported more attachment to their families which may have an effect on the result of the study.…”

More than Men: Latino Feminist Masculinities and Intersectionality

“…A large body of literature has documented the negative consequences of adhering to masculine gender roles on men's mental health (see Pleck 1981 for a review). These consequences include alcoholism (Lemle and Mishkind 1989), depression (Good and Wood 1995;Good et al 2004;Mahalik and Rochlen 2006), restriction on expressions of emotion generally (O'Neil 1981(O'Neil , 1998, and within familial relationships specifically (DeFranc and Mahalik, 2002;Mahalik and Morrison 2006). Given the negative consequences associated with adherence to hegemonic masculinity, feminist engagement on the part of men can be a more constructive (and social justice oriented) response to the oppressive restrictiveness of masculinity as a social construct.…”

Age and gender differences in emotional and behavioural problems during the transition to residential treatment: the Odyssey Project

“…The impact of this separation may be comparatively less intense for boys who are socialised to tolerate separation from and to be less emotionally connected to their parents (e.g. DeFranc & Mahalik, 2002). Research on differences in autonomy granting has demonstrated that girls tend to be socialised towards compliance and intimacy while boys are socialised to be independent (e.g.…”