Relational Health and Masculine Gender-Role Conflict in the Friendships and Community Relationships of Bisexual, Gay, and Straight Men

Abstract

This study examined how men's masculine gender-role conflict and the importance men placed on interpersonal relationships in defining their self-identities predicted their relational health experiences in same-sex, dyadic friendships and community relationships. Using an Internet sample of 283 self-identified bisexual, gay, and straight men, results of hierarchical linear regression analyses indicated that for men across sexual orientations, the more importance men placed on interpersonal relationships with other men, the greater the degree of relational health they experienced in dyadic friendships. Additionally, for bisexual and gay men in dyadic friendships with other men, gender-role conflict was inversely related to the relational health of their friendships. In the domain of community relationships, the importance that bisexual and straight men placed on interpersonal relationships in defining their self-identities and levels of gender-role conflict predicted relational health experiences. For gay men, however, feelings of 125 masculine gender-role conflict, alone, predicted poorer relational health in community relationships. Study limitations, clinical implications for practice, and future research directions are discussed.

Cultural Correlates of Dating Violence in a Combined Gender Group of Latino College Students

“…Relatedly, parents’ educational levels were correlated to reflect research suggesting that couples tend to select similarly educated spouses and intimate partners (Caetano et al, 2005; Capaldi et al, 2012). Participant age was included as a demographic variable covariate as some researchers have pointed out potential relationships between age and certain gender attitudes such as hypermasculinity (Vásquez Guerrero, 2009) and masculine gender role conflict (Cournoyer & Mahalik, 1995; Vásquez, 2014), as well as to control for potential generational variables. Parental education level and participants’ age were correlated as we expected that parents’ higher education levels would be negatively correlated with participant age.…”