Men are simple.
Or so, scientists in British Columbia believe.
Experts at the University of British Columbia interviewed 92 straight men, from diverse cultural backgrounds, between the ages of 19 to 43 and found that they navigate relationships in three masculine styles.
“We set out to understand how different types of masculinities shape men’s relationships and their mental health,” says Dr. John Ollife, a nursing professor.
The first type of heterosexual man is defined as the neo-traditionalist and these men follow traditional gender roles. In this type, men want to be the provider and protector in the relationship.
Egalitarian masculine men seek a more equal partnership with an emphasis on mutuality and measurable give and take.
The third type is progressive men who are working on building gender equity in a relationship through regular and purposeful conversations with their partner to adjust who does what.
A quarter of men follow old ideas of masculinity
Only 24 per cent of the men interviewed embodied 'neo-traditionalist' masculinities, which was the least popular choice.
Half of the participants were determined to be ‘egalitarian' masculinities and distanced themselves from the traditional masculine norms. These men idealized equal contributions and reciprocity and they evaluate each partner's relative efforts and contributions to the relationship.
Progressive ‘masculinities' were present in 26 per cent of the men interviewed. They tended to focus on fairness and social justice. These men check their own privilege to justly operate within the relationship, and more broadly in society.
"What we found was that these masculine types were associated with different benefits as well as challenges,” says Oliffe.
Men who promoted gender equity and social justice have improved mental well-being, the study found.
Dr. Oliffe also observed that men who challenged these ideals could face isolation or criticism from others, which can impact their mental health.
“These shifts and stresses have implications for mental health,” says Oliffe. “To promote meaningful change, we need to address the structures that influence men’s behaviours.”
The study found that even men with an egalitarian style still struggled to grasp the concept of achieving gender equality by splitting domestic tasks strictly 50-50.
Early global look at how young men are changing
The study, which was carried out through in-depth virtual interviews over the online video conferencing platform Zoom, is one of the few projects to sample men from diverse contexts and countries worldwide.
“While men are becoming more involved in promoting gender equity, little is known about how younger men work to build partnerships in their private lives,” says Oliffe.
“With this research, we hope we have helped map that uncharted space and point a way forward for healthier relationships that promote the health of men, their partners and families.”
The participants in the study submitted more than 700 photographs. Of those, 120 have been featured in an online photo exhibition depicting the three masculine styles.
Visitors can also take a quiz to decide which images fit with each masculinity
