Experiences of Gender Role Conflict as Described by Irish Boys

Gender role conflict is an influential construct in the area of adolescent boys' studies with the Gender Role Conflict Scale for Adolescents (GRCS-A; Blazina, Pisecco, & O'Neil, 2005) the key tool used for assessment. Though commonly employed, the validity of the GRCS-A as well as the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychology of men & masculinity 2015-07, Vol.16 (3), p.312-325
Main Authors: O'Beaglaoich, Cormac, Morrison, Todd G., Nielsen, Elly-Jean, Ryan, Travis A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent Attitudes
Adolescent boys
Gender role conflict
Human
Male
Masculinity
Penalties
Preservation
Qualitative Methods
Role conflict
Role Conflicts
Sex Roles
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Summary:Gender role conflict is an influential construct in the area of adolescent boys' studies with the Gender Role Conflict Scale for Adolescents (GRCS-A; Blazina, Pisecco, & O'Neil, 2005) the key tool used for assessment. Though commonly employed, the validity of the GRCS-A as well as the depth of understanding that can be derived from such a scale has been questioned. To address these concerns, a qualitative study-phenomenological in nature-was conducted to explore patterns of gender role conflict among a sample of adolescent boys residing in the Republic of Ireland. Through 1-on-1 interviews and focus groups, 54 adolescent boys, 12 to 18 years old, participated in this study. Four broad and interrelated overarching categories were identified: (1) expectations of masculine behavior, (2) masculine self-preservation, (3) restrictions on nonnormative gender expressions, and (4) penalties for being male. Themes and subthemes within these overarching categories also are discussed. Theoretical implications, limitations, and avenues for future research are then outlined.
ISSN:1524-9220
1939-151X
DOI:10.1037/a0037962