The Masculine Gender Role

Men, gender stereotyping, and psychotherapy: Therapists' perceptions of male clients.

“…Pertain to Clients Solomon (1982) defined five dimensions of the male sex role, three of which are based on the work of David and Brannon (1976). Each of these dimensions is described here and then related to the responses from the sample of therapists interviewed.…”

“…In summary, Solomon's (1982) dimensions of the male sex role prescribe a way of being that pertains to emotional expression, sexual conduct, intimate relationships, and general behavior toward women and other men. Our interviews with therapists indicate that these dimensions are indeed internalized by many of their clients and offer them a narrow and confining way of life that frequently leads to relationship difficulties with both women and other men.…”

“…In this article we explore aspects of the male role identified by recent writers and researchers (e.g., David & Brannon, 1976;Solomon, 1982;Thompson, Grisanti, & Pleck, 1985;Thompson & Pleck, 1986) and relate each to concerns that appear descriptive of men who seek therapy. We obtained therapists' perceptions of male clients by asking 5 female and 5 male doctoral-level psychologists, employed full-time as mental health service providers, about experiences with their male clients.…”

The Masculine Gender Role and Its Implications for the Life Expectancy of Older Men*

“…David and Brannon (6) and Solomon (7) have elucidated six dimensions of the traditional masculine role. They are: 1) “No Sissy Stuff”; 2) “The Big Wheel”; 3) “The Sturdy Oak”; 4) “Give‘Em Hell”; 5) Homophobia; and 6) Sexual Dysfunctioning.…”

“…The loss of the occupational role becomes a loss of both status and identity for many older men. As I have noted (7,(22)(23), the work role is the major source of a man's identity and men tend to define themselves and their status in society by their level and sophistication of productivity. The occupational role is intimately associated with the breadwinner role and the need to be the sole provider for the financial health and welfare of the family (26).…”