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Zachary Gerdes Dissertation.pdf (844.1 KB)

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A Mixed Qualitative Investigation of the Gender Conceptions of White, Heterosexual, Cisgender, Catholic Men

Gerdes, Zachary
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1573226845734139

Abstract Details

2020, Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, Counseling Psychology.
Traditional masculinity ideology and conformity to specific masculine norms have been associated with dozens of negative outcomes, including increased depression, violent behavior, and low esteem (O'Neil, 2012). Gender conceptions can also be positively constructed in men to resist traditional masculine norms (Smiler, 2014; Way et al., 2014). Meanwhile, hundreds of studies have linked religion and spirituality to positive outcomes, including increased life satisfaction and life expectancy (Plante & Thoresen, 2012), but few studies have examined masculinity and religiousness or spirituality (Ward & Cook, 2011). The current study examined how Catholic men's religious identities interact with their conceptions of gender and masculinities. In this mixed qualitative study using grounded theory and content analysis, a mixed theoretical and methodological framework was used to investigate what it means to be a Catholic man. Participants were 12 cisgender, middle class, heterosexual, emerging adult, Roman Catholic men from Northeast Ohio and were given questionnaires (e.g., the Inventory of Subjective Masculinity Experiences) and semi-structured interviews. Results illuminate how religious identities and gender conceptions interact to construct self-conceptions similar to and different from how masculine norms have been previously operationalized in the literature. Emerging categories included patterns of responses related to self-improvement, selflessness, and leadership. Implications for theory, health, and practice are discussed including how Catholic men's constructions of what it means to be a man may be related to health and well-being outcomes.
Ronald Levant, EdD (Committee Co-Chair)
Margo Gregor, PhD (Committee Co-Chair)
Ingrid Weigold, PhD (Committee Member)
John Queener, PhD (Committee Member)
Robert Peralta, PhD (Committee Member)
172 p.
Clinical Psychology; Counseling Psychology; Gender; Gender Studies; Psychology; Psychotherapy; Religion; Social Psychology
men; masculinity; masculinities; gender identity; gender construction; gender roles; masculine norms; religiousness; spirituality; Catholic men

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Gerdes, Z. (2020). A Mixed Qualitative Investigation of the Gender Conceptions of White, Heterosexual, Cisgender, Catholic Men [Doctoral dissertation, University of Akron]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1573226845734139

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Gerdes, Zachary. A Mixed Qualitative Investigation of the Gender Conceptions of White, Heterosexual, Cisgender, Catholic Men . 2020. University of Akron, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1573226845734139.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Gerdes, Zachary. "A Mixed Qualitative Investigation of the Gender Conceptions of White, Heterosexual, Cisgender, Catholic Men ." Doctoral dissertation, University of Akron, 2020. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1573226845734139

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

akron1573226845734139
274
© 2019, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by University of Akron and OhioLINK.