Sexuality,romantic orientation,and masculinity: Men as underrepresented in asexual and aromantic communities

This study examines men as a minority in asexual (experiencing low/no sexual attraction) and aromantic (experiencing low/no romantic attraction) communities. First, we situate our research in existing literature on asexuality, compulsory sexuality/compulsory romance, and hegemonic masculinities. In our analysis, we use survey data from the 2020 Asexual Community Survey (n = 4974) and 2020 Aromantic Census (n = 3018) to provide evidence that asexual and aromantic men are demographic minorities within asexual and aromantic communities. Next, we turn to two interview samples with 39 individuals who identify as aromantic and 77 individuals who identify as asexual. We analyzed these interviews to explore how sexuality and romance contribute to the construction of hegemonic masculinities. Our interviews reveal several important themes that highlight how asexual and aromantic men navigate their masculinity and identity amid asexual and aromantic communities as majority-woman spaces. We focus on three main themes: (1) masculinity as inherently sexual; (2) masculinity, heteronormativity, and the gendered construction of romance; and (3) asexual/aromantic identity, masculinity, and the split attraction model. Taken together, our results show how (hetero)sexuality and romantic relationship formation are fundamental to hegemonic masculinity. We find that asexual and aromantic men face cultural pressures and social stigma around initiating sex and performing romance. Asexual men must contend with managing a sexual identity that runs counter to men's supposedly innate sexual desire, thus situating them as inadequately masculine. Aromantic men, meanwhile, must manage inhabiting an identity that is conflated with the fuckboy/player trope, situating them as excessively masculine. This study demonstrates how centering asexual and aromantic perspectives reveals complexities in the ways hegemonic masculinity relies on participation in both sex and romance. We conclude by relating our findings to larger conversations on gender and sexualities as well as implications for future research on marginalized sexual identities.     

Political Generations in Developing Countries: Evidence and Insights from Algeria

The socialization literature has examined whether individualswho pass through their formative years during definable historicaleras constitute political generations characterized by shareddispositions or collective memories that outlast the eras themselves.Drawing upon 1995 public opinion data from Algeria, we ask whetherpolitical generations are discernible in a non-Western societyin which the government and politics have undergone fundamentaltransformations in character and normative orientation. We findevidence that shared attitudes characterize Algerians who cameof age during the regime of President Houari Boumedienne—astable 13-year period from 1965 to 1978 marked by centralizedpolitical leadership, low grassroots political participation,and state-led socialism. Other cohorts are not similarly distinguishable,however, nor does the Boumedienne cohort differ from otherswith respect to a number of political, economic, and culturalorientations. Like other studies, this research indicates thatsome historical periods produce durable generation effects whileothers do not and that some attitudes acquired during the formativeyears of late adolescence and early adulthood persist over timewhile others do not.     

Perceived lack of control over life events: Antecedents and consequences in a discharged patient sample

This paper examines perceptions of control over the occurrence of life events among a group of psychiatric patients interviewed at two points in time. First, perceived lack of control is treated as an independent variable affecting psychiatric symptomatology. Results show that, controlling for baseline symptomatology, perceived lack of control is significantly associated with demoralization but random with respect to delusions-hallucinations. Second, when perceived control is treated as a dependent variable results show that variation in how life events are perceived is more a function of the events that occur than of the personal dispositions of individuals. These results are compared with recently reported data from the general population.     

Role incongruence and gender variation in the provision of prison mental health services

Correctional administrators are equipped with a variety of responses to manage problematic inmate behavior. The forms of these responses range from subtle coercion in the context of everyday prison life to segregative placements that include protective custody, disciplinary confinement, and mental health residential services. Using logistic regression, the present study examines the disproportionate placement of female inmates in mental health facilities. The results suggest that placement differences for male and for female inmates reflect both psychiatric need and differential responses to role-incongruent behavior.     

Gender Differences in Self-Reported Reasons for Homelessness

The purpose of this paper is to illustrate some of the ways in which the perceived pathways into homelessness are socially structured. We do this by examining the relative frequency of 11 different reasons homeless males and females cite for being homeless. Males were more likely to cite the following as their main reasons for homelessness: loss of a job, discharge from an institution, mental health problems, and alcohol or drug problems. Women were more likely to cite the following as their main reason for homelessness: eviction, interpersonal conflict, and someone no longer able or willing to help. Self-reported reasons for being homeless are also related to age, marital status, race, and being a veteran. As expected, they are also linked to receptiveness to treatment. Gender differences in reasons for homelessness may require different approaches to building helping relationships with homeless men and women.     

Ethnic Exploration and Consciousness of Difference: Chinese Adoptees in Early Adolescence

Ethnic exploration is one path for children adopted internationally to develop an understanding of how and why they are different from others, and to build personal biographies that bring together adoption, race, and national origin. In this article, we draw on the concept of consciousness of difference to analyze the ethnic explorations of 282 Chinese adopted girls. Where race was salient and positive in daily life, ethnic exploration during early adolescence provided an affirmative way for many of them to normalize the consciousness of being visibly different from family and friends, even though in some ways it also complicated it.     

Gender Differences in Self-Reported Reasons for Homelessness

The purpose of this paper is to illustrate some of the ways in which the perceived pathways into homelessness are socially structured. We do this by examining the relative frequency of 11 different reasons homeless males and females cite for being homeless. Males were more likely to cite the following as their main reasons for homelessness: loss of a job, discharge from an institution, mental health problems, and alcohol or drug problems. Women were more likely to cite the following as their main reason for homelessness: eviction, interpersonal conflict, and someone no longer able or willing to help. Self-reported reasons for being homeless are also related to age, marital status, race, and being a veteran. As expected, they are also linked to receptiveness to treatment. Gender differences in reasons for homelessness may require different approaches to building helping relationships with homeless men and women.