male Gender Role Conflict

I'm presently studying this psychological construct gender role conflict (O'Neil, 1981) that refers to men's patterns that arise when "rigid, sexist or restrictive gender roles, learned during socialization, result in personal restriction, devaluation or violation of others or self."

When seen in the context of interpersonal relations, gender role conflict implies that "men are shaped from an early age to develop a narrow range of dominant and emotionally withdrawn interpersonal responses that are recurring, inflexible, and harmful to themselves and to others" (Mahalik, 1999).

There are four empirically-tested patterns of male gender role conflict namely, Success Power and Competition; Restricted Emotionality; Restrictive Affectionate Behavior Between Men; and Conflict Between Work and Family.

Here's Mahalik's (1999) illustration of a man rigidly enacting the factor Restrictive Emotionality: "Thus, men may have difficulty telling others they care about them, disclosing and discussing vulnerabilities, and finding words to describe their feelings. At home, such a man would not readily show affection to family members or be able to ask for support and affection. For example, he may expect that his partner and children know what he feels for them even when he may himself have difficulty being able to name or experience his feelings. Also, he may expect that his partner be able to know when he needs support and is feeling bad even when he has difficulty knowing what he is feeling. Related to his discomfort with his own feelings, he may expect that his partner and children should not have the feelings that they experience. ..."