African American masculinity ideology and informal help-seeking an exploratory analysis

• Main Author: Schaeffer, Charles B
• Format: Dissertation
• Language: English
• Published: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses 01-01-2015
• Subjects: African American Studies; Black studies; Counseling Psychology; Gender studies
• ISBN: 9781339157498; 1339157497

While masculinity ideology, or the culturally informed beliefs and behaviors men associate with being a man, has emerged as an important construct linked to men’s development, health, and help-seeking behaviors little research has included African American men’s beliefs and values. Though national statistics consistently indicate that African American men have higher levels of morbidity than other ethnic and gender groups, are disproportionately likely to experience poor outcomes across virtually every physical and socioemotional indicator (e.g., life expectancy, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression), and are less likely to seek or receive support in times of need, their understandings of manhood remain missing from extant masculinity ideology and help-seeking research. Addressing these gaps, the current dissertation employed three inter-related studies among 171 African American men residing in 5 metropolitan areas. The first study used exploratory factor analysis to assess the underlying dimensions of a culturally derived measure of masculinity ideology developed specifically for African American men. The second study employed multiple regressions to examine the association between the dimensions of this culturally derived measure of masculinity ideology and a range of factors that are culturally significant among African American men but that have never been empirically examined in prior research on masculinity including various indices of religiosity, spirituality, as well as positive or negative messages received about African American masculinity from significant others (e.g., parents, grandparents, siblings). The final study utilized a multiple regression analysis to explore the extent to which these various factors were associated with help-seeking among African American men. Findings from the present study complicate current understandings of masculinity ideology, indicating that African American masculinity beliefs and values are grounded in relationality, other-directedness, and status. Additionally, men’s differences in age, education, subjective spirituality, and prayer relate to differences in masculinity ideologies. With respect to help-seeking, African American men who endorsed greater endorsement of relational masculinity beliefs were more likely to seek help from friends. Implications for future research, theory, and clinical interventions are discussed.