ABSTRACT
This chapter explores differences among men in their masculinity ideologies and adherence to gender role norms. It describes how culture contributes to definitions of manhood, such that there are cultural differences among individual men and groups of men that are important to know and understand. In Western society, anatomical males are primarily associated with masculinity and females with femininity. Through social learning, boys and girls are taught by families and society how to think, act, and feel based on anatomical sex. Theories about masculinity have been proposed from several different paradigms, but primarily masculinity has been viewed as a trait, gender role, or ideology. As a trait, masculinity is considered a personality characteristic or attribute. The gender role perspective considers masculinity as a behavior, in which actions or social roles are defined by a culture as masculine or feminine, or are viewed as typical of men and women.
