Francisco Perales, Ella Kuskoff, Michael Flood, and Tania King’s new research, published in Sex Roles, seeks to answer this question by focusing on the “father factor” that significantly influences how young men express their masculinity: Do young men “copy” their fathers’ masculinity?
Today, men exhibit their masculinity in various ways. Certain individuals adhere to traditional models of masculinity, which involve beliefs in male dominance and acceptance of hazardous or aggressive actions. On the other hand, some men adopt more forward-thinking perspectives.
However, the process by which men form their concepts, beliefs, and behaviors regarding masculinity remains a subject of inquiry. A recent study published in Sex Roles, conducted by Francisco Perales, Ella Kuskoff, Michael Flood and Tania Kingby aims to shed light on this matter by specifically examining the influence of fathers on how young men express their own masculinity.
The primary question the research sought to answer was whether young men imitate or emulate their fathers’ expressions of masculinity.
Its is found that young men whose fathers support more traditional forms of masculinity are more likely to do so themselves.
To assess masculinity, they conducted an analysis using data from 839 pairs of young men aged 15 to 20 and their fathers.
In this survey, participants were presented with a series of 22 scientifically validated questions. These questions aimed to gauge their emotions and behaviors in various aspects of masculinity. For instance, they were inquired about:
- the significance of work and social status for their sense of identity
- their take on showing emotions and being self-reliant
- their endorsement of risk-taking and violent behaviours
- the importance they assigned to appearing heterosexual and having multiple sex partners
- and their beliefs about winning, dominance over others and men’s power over women.
The results were clear. Young men who scored highly on the traditional masculinity measures tended to have fathers who also scored highly.
The implications
The implications of the findings are significant, as it is widely recognized that social learning plays a crucial role in shaping the attitudes and behaviors of young individuals. While fathers are not the sole influence, the study indicates that young men acquire substantial knowledge about masculinity from their fathers. This finding aligns with common intuition, but until now, there has been limited empirical evidence to support it.
The confirmation that fathers transmit their beliefs about masculinity to their sons carries profound implications. It helps explain the persistent prevalence of traditional masculine models in contemporary society. The study suggests that breaking this cycle necessitates involving fathers in the process.
Efforts such as policies, interventions, and programs that aim to promote healthy masculinity among young people are more likely to succeed if they also target fathers. This approach aligns with the growing body of programs that focus on engaging fathers in positive parenting.
Furthermore, our findings highlight the potential long-term impact of successful interventions. If a program effectively assists young individuals in cultivating positive masculinity, it is likely that as they become fathers themselves, their own children’s masculinity will also be positively influenced.
Source: Conversation