GENDER AND MALE-MALE BONDING AS ADOLESCENT ASSETS

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: COMPLETE
• Funding Source: HATCH
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 0212503
• Project Start Date: Oct 1, 2007
• Project End Date: Sep 30, 2010
• Program Code: [(N/A)]- (N/A)

Recipient Organization
CORNELL UNIVERSITY
(N/A)
ITHACA,NY 14853

Performing Department
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

Non Technical Summary
We have come to expect boys to be problematic during their adolescence. School killings and bullying are said to be rampant. By sampling a high school class, we will be able to identify those boys who are thriving and compare them not only to those who are struggling, but also to those who are average.

Animal Health Component

50%

Research Effort Categories

Basic

50%

Applied

50%

Developmental

(N/A)

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
806	6099	3070	100%

Knowledge Area
806 - Youth Development;

Subject Of Investigation
6099 - People and communities, general/other;

Field Of Science
3070 - Psychology;

Keywords

adolescence and youth

positive development

intimacy and bonding

bullying and violence

rural youth

human development

masculinity

healthy development

peers and friends

sexual health

identity

cooperation

groups

media

attitudes

Goals / Objectives
To assess aspects of how boys develop and experience their masculinity and male-male bonding among two senior classes of Oswego high school students. To determine the association of gender-related experiences and attitudes with the boys' mental health, participation in close relationships such as friendships and romance, and involvement in community activities. To explore how these gender experiences and attitudes were influenced by media (television, movies, internet, blogs, etc.) and close associates (friends, team members, club members, etc.). To predict both those adolescent boys who are most alienated from themselves and others (especially other boys) and those adolescent boys who are doing well, feel in tune with themselves, and are connected with others. To determine if aspects of masculinity that are beneficial for boys are also beneficial for girls.

Project Methods
Data will be collected during English class during the spring of two (2008-2009) graduating senior classes at Oswego High School (mean age = 17 years). This will give us a large pool (about 600) of students from which to select those young men who are flourishing. The primary focus here will be on the male data; the female data will initially be used for contrast and later analyses will focus on girls differential experience of masculinity. In previous years similar arrangements with school administrators for collecting data were secured by collaborator Dr. Andrew Smiler using a similar population, measure, and methodology but addressing somewhat different issues. In those studies, parental assent and written consent from adolescents were approved by the SUNY, Oswego IRB; I will apply for this status with both SUNY Oswego and Cornells IRBs. Accordingly, survey items will be selected to be as banal and unobtrusive as possible. Participants will be guaranteed anonymity, although a request will be made for contact information so that follow-up data can be collected. The anticipated 30-minute questionnaire will be given during classes and will use previously established measures of basic demographics; childhood gender identity/gender role; attitudes towards women/men and conformity to masculine and feminine norms; peer pressure; achievement of gender and sexual developmental milestones; experiences of male bonding in various contexts, including organizational and community activities (e.g., 4-H, Scouts, athletic teams, religious groups); exposure and use of media; and various measures of well-being.

Progress 10/01/07 to 09/30/10

Outputs
OUTPUTS: The year was primarily in data analyses and communicating the results to diverse audiences, in the following ways. Paper Presentations Rieger, G., & Savin-Williams, R. C. (2010, July 26). Sexual orientation, gender nonconformity, and psychological health. Paper presented at the International Academy of Sex Research, Prague, CZ. Smiler, A. P. & Savin-Williams, R. C. (2010, August 13). Who I am: Adolescents' identity choices and gender role norms. Poster presented at the Annual Conference of the American Psychological Association, San Diego, CA. Smiler, A. P. & Savin-Williams, R. C. (2010, March 26). School is for girls: Masculinity and boys' school performance. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the American Men's Studies Association, Atlanta, GA. Vrangalova, Z., & Savin-Williams, R. C. (submitted). Adolescent sex, age of debut, number of partners, and well-being. Unpublished manuscript, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. Theses Mitchell, R. S. Adolescents' online friendships: Sexual orientation, psychological well-being, and social involvement. Masters thesis, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. Research Credit & Experience 1. Graduate students: Zhana Vrangalova, Ryan Mitchell 2. Undergraduate students: Marc Halperin, Fred Gonzales, Ir Barak, Dustin VanDenBerg, Michael Santandreu, Zachary Barletta PARTICIPANTS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
Knowledge was created and publicized primarily in two areas: First, awareness of the "mostly straight" young man and, second, finding that more critical in psychological well-being was transgressing gender norms in behavior rather than sexual orientation per se. Very likely it is gender nonconformity that provokes bullies to harass their peers and thus decrease their well-being. These results from the study have been broadcast to many audiences through professional talks and media services. The former is evident above and the latter is evident in the many interviews I gave to newspapers, radio, online outlets, and television. Other findings will be produced over the next two years and will perhaps be the basis for honor students or graduate students. Another goal is to provide a podcast for extension/outreach through the departmental services.

Publications

• Rieger, G., & Savin-Williams, R. C. (2011). Gender nonconformity, sexual orientation, and psychologic well-being. Archives of Sexual Behavior.

Progress 10/01/08 to 09/30/09

Outputs
OUTPUTS: During the past year final high school data collection was completed in October, 2008 with 271 students early in their senior year. No parent or student withdrew from the study when it was described to them. IRB approval was achieved from Cornell University to include college students during the final year of the project to extend the implications of male-male bonding to the friendships and psychological health of young men. A summary of the project was sent to the Oswego NY High School administration. The data were coded by SUNY Oswego and Cornell University undergraduate research assistants. A master data set was created, a SPSS program was created, and statistical and methodological expertise was established. A follow-up study with college young men was planned. The raw data and permissions are stored in a locked research drawer in my research office at Cornell University. PARTICIPANTS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
The Project and findings have been discussed by Professor Savin-Williams at professional talks at Colgate University, American Psychological Association Plenary, Queen Mary University of London, and New York University. Several publications based on the data have been submitted to peer-reviewed journals (under review); others are currently being written. Results have been formerly presented at national and international conferences: Smiler, A. P., & Savin-Williams, R. C. (2009, August). School is for girls: Mascuelinity and boys' school performance. In M. Epstein (ed.) Masculinity in context: Examination of positive and negative effects. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the American Psychological Association, Toronto, CN. Vrangalova, Z., & Savin-Williams, R. C. (2009, May). Teenage sex is good: Links to psychological and subjective well-being. Poster presented at the Association for Psychological Science, San Francisco, CA.

Publications

• No publications reported this period

Progress 10/01/07 to 09/30/08

Outputs
OUTPUTS: During the past year the final questionnaire was completed and printed, IRB approval was achieved from Cornell University and SUNY Oswego, the school administration approved the research design and protocol, letters were sent to parents of the 2008 graduating high school class (no parents withdrew their student), and Wave One of data collection was completed at Oswego NY High School from 213 seniors in April, 2008. The data were coded by SUNY Oswego undergraduate students and each questionnaire was then re-coded by Cornell University research assistants. Discrepancies were cleaned and a master data set was created. SPSS syntax was created and summary scores of various measures (e.g., the 16 types of identity achieved) were entered into the master set. The raw data and permissions are stored in a locked research drawer in my research office at Cornell University. PARTICIPANTS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
The Gender Bonding Project does not yet have outcomes/impacts but has been discussed at the national meetings of the American Psychological Association by Dr. Andrew Smiler in August, 2008 and the Society for the Scientific Study of Sex by Dr. Savin-Williams in November, 2008. In addition, the project and initial impressions have been discussed by Dr. Savin-Williams at the University of Chicago, University of Illinois, Boston University, and University of Massachusetts

Publications

• No publications reported this period