This study aimed at looking at how young adolescent boys with physical disabilities construct a masculine identity, how they engage with masculinity and how they manage gendered aspects. The study follows similar masculine research conducted overseas, and some limited work conducted in South Africa, however these studies mainly explored how able-bodied boys relate to masculinity and a masculine identity. Thus, this study covered two broad areas, namely the experience of masculine identities related to a physical disability, as well as a comparison between able bodied and disabled adolescent boys. In order to conduct this research, five adolescent boys from a government school catering for disabilities in Johannesburg interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. The recorded data was transcribed, and thematic analysis was used to analyse and code the data. Some themes that emerged reiterated findings from existing literature, such as aggression and muscle mass as markers of masculinity. Other new themes emerged, such as emotional maturity being important to the boys. The analysis and discussion highlights the central themes, as well as some smaller sub-themes that emerged from the data.

Bibliography: leaves 264-273. Ch. 1: Introduction -- Ch. 2: Religion -- Ch. 3: Princes men -- Ch. 4. School culture and impact -- Ch. 5: Discipline -- Ch. 6: Competition and success -- Ch. 7: Conclusions. "This study is an oral history based on interviews with fifty men who left Prince Alfred College (PAC) between 1960-65. The aim was to define the codes of masculinity that were accepted and taught at the school and any other definitions of masculinity that were occurring simultaneously" -- abstract.

Bibliography: leaves 264-273. / iv, 273 leaves : charts ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / "This study is an oral history based on interviews with fifty men who left Prince Alfred College (PAC) between 1960-65. The aim was to define the codes of masculinity that were accepted and taught at the school and any other definitions of masculinity that were occurring simultaneously" -- abstract. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Education, 2001

Past research has indicated that masculine socialization norms contribute to avoidance of intimacy in close relationships, which has been proposed to inhibit men’s psychological adjustment. The goal of the current dissertation was to examine associations among parental bonding, gender role conflict, affect regulation capacity, and adult attachment avoidance to describe the dynamic interaction between psychological and societal influences impacting adult attachment style. The present investigation employed a developmental contextual framework used to examine attachment and psychoanalytic theories describing the evolution of characteristic male interpersonal strategies. In the current study, it was proposed that parental bonding would predict adult attachment avoidance, gender role conflict, and affect regulation capacity. It was also hypothesized that both gender role conflict and three distinct affect regulation variables would predict adult attachment avoidance. Finally, the study aimed to test a model proposing that gender role conflict and affect regulation variables mediate the relationship between parental bonding and avoidance of intimacy in romantic relationships. Two hundred and sixty-six undergraduate men completed a series of online surveys and 10 of these individuals participated in open-ended, follow-up interviews. The relationships between study variables were examined with linear regression and mediational analyses. Qualitative data regarding constructs of interest were elicited from interview respondents and interpreted for themes. Results demonstrated partial support for mediation effects, indicating that gender role conflict, emotion regulation suppression, and emotion regulation reappraisal helped to explain the association between maternal bonding care and adult attachment avoidance. In addition, interview themes related to five content areas were described and integrated with implications for future research directions and clinical applications. Results of this study identified significant mechanisms underlying the development of men’s maladaptive discomfort with intimacy in adulthood. Findings revealed through investigation of male interpersonal connections and the origins of specific emotion regulation strategies will assist researchers and clinicians to further elucidate the construct of masculinity from a developmental contextual perspective. Study outcomes indicated that masculine gender role socialization and capacity to regulate affect should be key points of intervention for therapists working with men presenting with relational difficulties linked to early parental attachments. / text

“Understanding young Christian religious men’s constructions of masculine identity” This study aims to address the question of whether and how religious belief, affiliation and identity impacts on young men’s construction of masculine identity. Looking at how young men construct a socially acceptable masculinity, it explores how they position themselves in relation to this socially normative hegemonic masculinity. Alongside this, the study looks at whether and how young men construct alternative versions of masculinity and how a religious identity impacts on the young men’s masculine identities. Participants in the study (N=5) were all young men ranging in age from 18 to 25 years old, and all held a strong religious affiliation. Through a series of in-depth interviews, the participants gave their accounts of what it means to be a man in their lives, giving examples of how they both accepted and rejected the social norms of masculinity, as well as describing how their religious affiliation impacted on their lives. A common version of hegemonic masculinity was identified by the participants, characterised by male authority, emotional stoicism and symbolised through physical strength and material possessions. But alongside this the participants identified alternate versions of masculinity that tended to oppose hegemonic ideals. There was a strong focus from the participants on the impact of their religious affiliation on their masculine identity, with religious values taking precedence when in conflict with a hegemonic identity. It was found that the participants tended to perform a hybrid version of masculinity, with a hegemonic and religious identity existing in parallel. This new version of masculinity is argued to be an alternative version of a hegemonic masculinity that has emerged in response to their religious identity, and is consistent with other gendered developments in the South African context. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2013.

This article examines the talk of male Psychology students about women and heterosexual relationships in all-male discussion groups. Four vignettes depicting difficult situations in heterosexual relationships were used to initiate discussion. Eight men attending a historically black university participated in the group discussions, which were facilitated by a male postgraduate Psychology student. The study explored masculine identity construction by identifying interpretive repertoires deployed by respondents to construct and account for themselves and their social worlds, within the context of discussions about relationships with women. Three interpretive repertoires of masculinity: the male-as- breadwinner/provider, male-as-protector and the "New Man" repertoire were identified. The complex and contradictory nature of masculine identity construction is highlighted. Drawing on the work of Hollway (1984), two discourses of heterosexuality were also identified: the have/hold discourse and the permissive discourse. The invocation of the "New Man" repertoire and pro-feminist discourses of heterosexuality in the men's talk may signify a move towards more enlightened and less oppressive constructions of masculinity, heterosexuality and gender.

This study aimed to investigate how “outness,” spirituality/religiosity, gay identity affirmation and demographic factors relate to each other and predict internalized homophobia (IH). IH is linked to a host of negative outcomes. The study took place over three months at the 2012 New York Pride parades in all five boroughs. Participants were recruited via the cross-sectional street-intercept approach, 195 of whom met the inclusion criteria. Data were analyzed using SPSS 26. In sum, the sample consisted of a highly educated, mostly white, high-income subset of men. The regression model indicated that gay identity importance and being “out” to world were predictive of IH. There were also significant differences in participation in gay activities along the lines of education and race. Same sex attracted men who earned a four-year college degree reported more participation in gay activities compared to those of lower attainment levels. Compared to White men, Latino men participated in less gay activities, possibly due to cultural factors. Men who have higher levels of affirmation were more likely to participated in gay activities, which could include pride, which suggests a potential bias. Buddhists reported unusually high levels of internalized homophobia compared to other spiritual and religious practices and orientations. Finally, there were no significant differences in homophobia with race, but there was one with religion. Christians exhibited statistically significantly higher levels of internalized homophobia compared to those who were nonreligious namely atheists, agnostics, and the spiritual but not religious. Implications for health promotion were discussed.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Violence in South Africa is a serious problem and young men have been and still are the driving force behind the high levels of violence in South Africa. Although young men commit the most violence researchers have largely neglected the critical examination of young men and their association with violence. This study set out to examine this phenomenon by conducting focus group and group interviews with 23 adolescent boys between the ages of 14-16. The boys were selected from two schools in the Cape region. Two focus groups and one group interview was conducted in order to gain insight from the participants on what they thought were the motivations for young mens‟ tendencies to enact violence. As a result, various themes emerged from the participants responses. The participants provided rich descriptions about what they thought motivated men to enact violence. Overwhelmingly all the themes highlighted that men and boys who endorse traditional dominant ideals of masculinity that encourage toughness, dominance and willingness to resort to violence were more likely to enact violence. However, what was apparent was that for most boys violence played an integral part in the construction of their masculinity. It was defining characteristic of what it meant to be a man. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Geweld in Suid-Afrika is 'n ernstige probleem en jong mans was en is nog steeds die dryfkrag agter die hoë vlakke van geweld in Suid-Afrika. Ten spyte van jong mans se beeld as oortreders van geweld is jong mans se geweld deur navorsers geïgnoreer. Hierdie studie het 'n ondersoek gedoen om uit te vind wat die motivering is wat sommige jong mans na geweld toe dryf. As gevolg, het hierdie studie 23 adolessente jong mans tussen die ouderdom van 14 tot 16 'n onderhoud met hulle waargeneem. Die seuns is gekies uit twee skole in die Kaapse streek. Twee fokusgroepe en een groep onderhoud is uitgevoer met die adolessente seuns om 'n begrip te kry van hierdie fenoneem. Verskeie temas is uit die deelnemers antwoorde geneem. In al die temas kon ek aflei dat mans en seuns wat die tradisionele dominerende ideale van manlikheid omhels is meer geneig om geweld uitgevoer. Wat egter duidelik is vir die meeste seuns is dat geweld 'n integrale deel is in die konstruksie van hul manlikheid. Dit is 'n kenmerk van wat dit beteken om 'n man te wees.

This study explored the negotiation of masculine identities among male adolescent rugby players within South Africa, using the brief of "What it means to be a young man in South Africa today". Of particular interest was the way in which young men engaged with concepts of hegemonic masculinity and how they positioned their own and others' gender identities in relation to this. A total of 14 adolescent boys participated in two focus groups with the topic of masculinity as a discussion point. The research was situated within a qualitative research paradigm which allowed for the exploration, description and interpretation of the data generated during the focus groups. Two focus groups were held, with 10 and 4 participants in each group respectively. The focus group discussions were recorded and transcribed verbatim. The data was analysed using a critical thematic analysis, in order to establish central themes within the data. Four prominent themes were indentified: the male body; aspirational role models; engagement and interaction with the feminine; and negotiation of alternative masculinities. Each theme was discussed and expanded on using appropriate theory. The study highlights how the young men actively engaged with the negotiation of their gendered identities, raising critical questions regarding the acceptance of many hegemonic or dominant forms of expression of masculinity. It was also noted that while there was engagement and debate surrounding the construction of gender identities, a rather conventional hegemonic form of masculinity was still largely regarded as the ideal. An interesting finding in the study was that while many of the young men prized a more hegemonic conception of masculinity, alternative forms were engaged and identified with, and at times were incorporated into a more fluid understanding and expression of gender identity.

Socio-cultural constructions of the way in which individuals perceive their own bodies are a fundamental aspect of personal identity, and how people view and pursue their relations with others, and how they determine their position and role in society. Contemporary South African consumer culture, facilitated by globalisation, has promoted increasingly homogenous, unrealistic norms regarding what constitutes a “desirable” person. The aim of this study is to explore young men’s accounts of ideal masculine body-image and discuss the implications that these constructions have on their identities. It aims to provide an account of the discourses participants use when discussing their own and other male bodies, explore the ways in which consumerism and the media facilitate certain constructions of body-image amongst young South African men and forefront particular practices, and to highlight the social dynamics which facilitate emphasis on some discourses around the desirable ideal male body and the silencing of others. This study uses a qualitative research design and a social constructionist theoretical framework. Data was collected using semi-structured, individual interviews with 12 young men between the ages of 18 and 26 from Durban, South Africa and the data collected was analysed using discourse analysis. The results discussed six main discourses evident amongst the texts, namely, the natural body, functionality over form, the necessity of progression, the body for self and others, the body is secondary and the homosexual aversion. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal-Durban, 2013.