“Putting My Man Face On”: A Grounded Theory of College Men’s Gender Identity Development

Abstract

The purpose of this grounded theory study was to explore the process of college men's gender identity development. Conducted from a social constructivist epistemological paradigm, through a social justice theoretical lens, and using a constructivist grounded theory methodology, the following research questions guided this study: (a) how do college men come to understand themselves as men; (b) how does this understanding of what it means to be a man change over time, if at all; and (c) what are the critical influences on this process? Three interviews with 10 college men from a large East Coast university were conducted.The theory that emerged from this study is grounded in the participants' experiences and depicts gender identity as developed through constant interaction with society's expectations of them as men. In order to try to meet these expectations and be seen as men, participants described putting on a performance that was like wearing a mask or "putting my man face on." This process included learning societal expectations of them as men, as well as specific cultural group expectations. The men in this study were all aware that they did not neatly fit behind the mask, either as a result of personal characteristics or social identities. Their resulting insecurities led them to wearing the mask both consciously and unconsciously so that they would be seen as men by society.Wearing the mask had consequences for the women in their lives, their relationships with other men, and themselves as they were also denying or masking their true selves.Although none of the men in this study had been able to completely take off the mask, they were able to identify critical influences in their lives that had helped each of them begin to remove the mask in certain circumstances and begin moving towards being their own man. This theory of college men's gender identity development has implications relevant to theory development, research, student affairs practice, and social justice.

Beyond bad behaving brothers: productive performances of masculinities among college fraternity men

“…Collectively, these behaviors and attitudes characterize what we describe as productive masculinities. We call them "productive" because they have been linked, both theoretically and empirically, to a host of desirable psychosocial (Edwards & Jones, 2009;Harris & Lester, 2009), health (Courtenay, 2011, and student engagement (Harper, 2004(Harper, , 2012 outcomes for college men. Moreover, these attitudes and behaviors also contribute to a safe and affirming campus community for all students and, if made known, can reshape campus social norms in positive ways for men.…”

“…For example, Harris's (2010) conceptual model described how men's gender socialization prior to college, participation in exclusively male peer groups, academic interests, and gendered campus norms interacted and influenced the meanings college men ascribed to masculinities. Similarly, Edwards and Jones' (2009) grounded theory of college men's gender identity development highlighted societal expectations of what it means to be a man, factors that complicate college men's identities as a result of these expectations, and critical influences in helping men transcend them. These models and perspectives provided a foundation for examining how men develop and sustain healthy, well-rounded, and productive masculinities in college contexts known to sustain and privilege hegemonic masculinities.…”

“…Higher education and student affairs scholars (e.g. Davis & Laker, 2004;Davis & Wagner, 2005;Edwards & Jones, 2009;Harper & Harris, 2010;Harper, Harris, & Mmeje, 2005;Harris & Edwards, 2010;Harris & Harper, 2008) have recently argued that an increase in gender-specific services and educational interventions crafted specially for college men will lead to decreases in their self-mistreatment and a range of destructive acts associated with misguided masculinities.With the exception of cheating and academic dishonesty, Dannells (1997) found that the majority of college students who are sanctioned in campus judicial processes for property destruction, vandalism, public drunkenness, and other violations are International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 2014 Vol. 27, No.…”

“…Over the past decade, a body of knowledge on the social construction of masculinities among college men has emerged in the higher education literature (e.g. Davis, 2002;Davis & Laker, 2004;Edwards & Jones, 2009;Harper & Harris, 2010;Kellom, 2004;Kimmel, 2008;Laker & Davis, 2011). These scholars have focused primarily on the roles of college environments in reinforcing hegemonic conceptualizations of masculinities and the influence on men's gender identity development and corresponding outcomes.…”

Experiences of Male Undergraduates That Lead to Academic Failure

“…In an empirical study of 10 male undergraduates, Edwards and Jones (2009) found men's identity was developed through societal expectations mediated by social interactions with others. Study participants described ''putting on a man face'' to meet the expectations for the context (Edwards, 2007;Edwards & Jones, 2009). In another investigation on gender, Sallee and Harris (2011) found that interviewed male undergraduate and graduate students responded to questions by aligning their responses with traditional assumptions about gender roles and expectations (p. 409).…”