Military Gender Roles

Words: 2334
Pages: 10

Gender roles and the stereotypes associated with these roles can have both positive and negative effects on males on societal and individual levels. Some frequently discussed contributors in male behavior and development include gender roles, traditional male stereotypes, and gender role conflict. The purpose of this review is not to address the specifics of male gender role conflict, but it is rather to determine what the effects of a military family are on a developing male in relation to masculinity and gender roles. A brief explanation of male gender roles and stereotypical masculine traits is provided to explain what these traits are and why they are so influential on male development and behavior.
The definition of the occurrence of gender
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While masculine stereotypes cause problems in the civilian world, rarely do they cause emotional failure because men in the civilian world are less likely to experience the severe emotional strains that military personnel can experience on a daily basis for extended periods of time. The manifestation of these emotional failures in coping with traumatic experiences is PTSD, particularly PTSD in combat veterans. Studies regarding PTSD treatment focus on both the treatment of, and avoidance of treatment by military males. The conclusions are useful because they reveal the emotional limits of stereotypical male behaviors, while also providing insight on how military training can enforce these behaviors in ways that are not common on the civilian side of society (Brooks, 2005). The negative connotation among veterans associated with seeking out treatment for PTSD also denotes stereotypical male behaviors. This literature review assists in the identification of the traits that are most likely to affect military …show more content…
Studies show that when learning how to behave with regard to gender roles, boys look to their father to determine how to act (Defranc & Mahalik, 2002). It would be logical to assume that the degree of masculine stereotypes in military males, such as emotional repression, is positively correlated with the adoption of this behavior in the male offspring of the said military personnel. However, research regarding the behavior of military adolescents indicates