Files
Abstract
Utilizing a narrative inquiry approach, this research study was designed to investigate the ways in which masculine socialization occurs in society by illuminating the experiences of gay men in fraternities and how they learned about what it means to be a man. The following research questions guided this study:1. What messages do gay men in fraternities receive about what it means to be a man?2. How do gay men negotiate these messages in the maintenance of their own identities?Eight men between the ages of 23 and 50 who identified as gay or Queer men and participated in a fraternity for at least two years as an undergraduate student took part in this study. Each man submitted a typed memory story and participated in a semi-structured interview; narratives for each man were constructed from the data collected. Two overarching conceptual categories emerged from this data. The first category, performing masculinity versus authenticity, was associated with five contradictory discourses: (1) reinforcing standards of masculinity; (2) distancing self from stereotypes about gay men; (3) compulsive heterosexuality; (4) personal authenticity; and (5) vulnerability, intimacy, and sex. The second category was organization versus individual and was divided into two contradictory discourses: (1) organizational values: espoused and enacted and (2) enhancing personal reputation through organizational affiliation. Each major theme is constructed of two opposing components to demonstrate the ways in which participants had to negotiate mixed messages within their organizations.The findings of this study suggest that fraternities serve as a site of masculine socialization for college men. While encouraging men to form deep, life-long bonds with their brothers, fraternities also reinforce certain ways of performing masculinity. The men must also balance their personal aspirations with the expectations of the organization. Understanding these mixed messages can assist student affairs professionals in disrupting negative aspects of masculine performance, such as aggression, drinking to excess, and sexual assault. Student affairs professionals can utilize a better understanding of masculine socialization to develop programming, such as bystander intervention programs, that will enhance collegiate experiences for both men and women.