The new male and his capacity for intimacy and relationships with women

Abstract

Because research on sex roles has not given sufficient attention to men and their expectations in relationships with women this study sought to investigate how changing sex roles have transformed men's relationships with women, and their capacity to be intimate. Both the area of male sex roles and male-female relations have undergone tremendous change in the last ten years.;The variables that were explored in this study included (1) sex role issues, (2) division of power and responsibility, and (3) capacity for intimacy as reported in self-disclosure behaviors. A number of other variables including age, education, sex role orientation, sexual activity and real life conflict potential were also assessed. The subjects for the study included 60 men between the ages of 22 and 38 years. The sample population was comprised of white middle class heterosexual males.;The results showed that for this population, the less intimate the man is able to be, the more difficulty he will have in forming interpersonal relationships. Further, men with feminine and androgynous sex role orientations had fewer difficulties in forming interpersonal relationships. Real life stresses--"conflict potential"--added to these difficulties. Relative power in the relationship, egalitarian attitudes towards women's roles, and the desire for sexual activity were not significant predictors. A number of other variables were also assessed.;The findings of this study are only suggestive because of the limited size and homogeneity of the sample. New research should focus on other populations for comparison and confirmation.