"Will boys be boys?" : attitudes towards masculinity and effeminacy in men

Abstract

The idea that “boys will be boys” has been used an excuse for many behaviours, both by men and towards them. Placing men into rigid gender categories may result in various issues, especially in cases where a man either deviates from norms ascribed to these categories or conversely adheres to the norms to an extreme. Hence, this study attempted to explore the attitudes towards masculine and effeminate men held in the Maltese population. Specifically, any associations between one’s attitudes and their age, gender, and self-perception of their own gender were sought. A quantitative methodology was adopted, using questions from the Bem Sex Role Inventory-12, the Male Role Norms Inventory-Short Form, and the Anti-Femininity Norm Scale to construct an anonymous questionnaire. Hypotheses were tested using data obtained from 410 participants aged 18-78, 73.7% being female (n = 303) and 26.3% (n = 107) being male. It was found that older age groups endorse traditional attitudes more strongly than younger ones. Additionally, men were found to endorse them more than women. Participants who perceived themselves as having low levels of femininity were found to endorse traditional attitudes more than those high in femininity. However, masculinity levels had no significant effect. These findings highlight which groups need to be targeted to encourage changes in the way that men are perceived and consequently judged. Moreover, they may indicate a shift in the way gender is traditionally conceptualised. The main traditional norms which are endorsed by the population are also highlighted in this study. Hence, it may provide a base to influence policy by highlighting the prominent attitudes held towards men and subsequently aid in the creation of new policies that counteract these negative attitudes.