Perceptions of the Male Sex Role

Abstract

In this study 75 college men used the Bem Sex Role Inventory to describe either themselves or a typical, ideal, or women's ideal man, and 30 college women described either a typical or ideal man. 7he only effect for the masculine items was that men saw themselves as relatively low on masculinity. For the feminine items the male's ratings were relatively high on femininity, with the exception of the typical male. While women described the ideal male as higher on femininity than the typical male, both of the women's ratings were relatively low on femininity. The results suggests that male role strain comes not from a failure to be expressive, but from a failure to be instrumental.