“Just cuz you wear a cowboy hat doesn't make you a cowboy": perceptions of masculinity among emerging adults

Abstract

Research conducted since 1990 suggests that young adults over 18 but under 29 years of age feel as though they are neither an adult nor an adolescent but somewhere between. This blur of boundaries between adolescence and adulthood can lead to the question, if a male does not yet think he is an adult, does he also not yet think he is a man? Guided by Arnett’s theory of emerging adulthood, the purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to identify the inter-individual differences in characterizing masculinity and the factors that may contribute to the development of these definitions. Males (n = 20) from a public Midwestern university, ages 18-23 (x̄ = 19.7 years) participated in individual interviews addressing their perceptions and definitions of masculinity. Three dominant themes about masculinity emerged including physical, emotional and behavioral characteristics, with behavioral characteristics containing 11 dominant and 4 lesser themes. While participants’ ideas about the extrinsic or visible characteristics of men and masculinity were similar to that of their peers in this study, the intrinsic or ideological characteristics of men were more closely aligned with that of their families. The majority of participants identified as not being men but stated that they are in the process of achieving manhood. Thus the development of a man may be separate from but similar to that of the development of an adult. Implications of this study include the practitioner response to influences responsible for differing masculine characteristics and the behaviors that result. Drinking alcohol has strong peer and media influences, as does disrespect toward women, both of which could have an impact on the individual. Also, the stress associated with various conflicting messages from family, peers, media, and their own opinions may be problematic for many youth.