Communal Male Role Models: How they influence identification with domestic roles and anticipation of future involvement with the family.

Authors

  • Katharina Block UBC

Keywords:

Modelling, Gender Roles, Male

Abstract

The division between work and family is still gendered in our society. I will present evidence that this seems to have an influence on individuals’ self concepts, their association with work and family, and how they predict their work-family balance in the future. Furthermore, I will discuss how previous research has shown the influence of career-oriented female role models but has neglected the possible influence of male role models. In this study we investigated whether exposing female and male participants to 3 different conditions of male exemplars, differing on their work-family balance in lifestyle, from family orientation over a balanced lifestyle to extreme career orientation, will influence their implicit associations with work and family as well as their predictions of their future life. Consistent with our predictions, a preliminary data analysis focusing on female participants shows different anticipations of their future work-family balance when exposed to family oriented male models rather than balanced or career- oriented males.

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Published

2012-05-01

Issue

Section

Social/Personality/Cultural