Gender role orientation,ethical and interpersonal conflicts,and conflict handling styles of female managers

This study examines the influences of socialization and structural variables on relations among gender role orientations, interpersonal and ethical conflicts, and conflict handling styles. The data were collected from 134 female federal and provincial government supervisors and managers (Mage 40.1). Results of multivariate analyses of variance indicated that managers with high-instrumental traits are likely to indicate that they would use a dominating conflict handling style, and androgynous managers (high-expressive and high-instrumental traits) are more likely to indicate that they would use an integrating style. Managers did not report that they would use different conflict handling styles for ethical and interpersonal conflicts. Moreover, nonsignificant interaction effects indicated that the nature of the conflict did not moderate the gender role orientation and conflict handling style relationship.

     

Gender role conflict: The interaction of gender,gender role,and occupation

One hundred forty-nine middle class individuals (69 males and 80 females), approximately 80% of whom were Caucasian, participated in the present study. The study was designed to test the hypothesis that individuals whose gender role and occupation did not match (i.e., feminine individuals in predominantly male occupations or masculine individuals in predominantly female occupations) would experience more gender role conflict than individuals whose gender role and occupation matched. The hypothesis was supported. A feminine gender role predicted higher gender role conflict in predominantly male occupations, and lower gender role conflict in predominantly female occupations than a masculine gender role. A masculine gender role predicted the lowest gender role conflict scores in predominantly male occupations, and the highest in predominantly female occupations. Furthermore, higher masculinity scores were related to greater gender role conflict for females than males in more predominantly male occupations.     

His and Her Perspectives: Gender Ideology, Work-to-Family Conflict, and Marital Satisfaction

This study examines the relationships between gender ideology, work-to-family conflict, and marital satisfaction. We hypothesize that gender ideology will moderate relationships between both the respondent’s work-to-family conflict and their spouse’s work-to-family conflict in predicting marital satisfaction, and that spouses’ gender ideologies will interact in predicting marital satisfaction. The hypotheses are addressed using data from a random sample of U.S. dual-earner couples (N?=?156) in a western state. The findings indicate that the more egalitarian women’s gender ideologies, the stronger the negative relationship between women’s marital satisfaction and women’s work-to-family conflict. The results also indicate that the dependence of men’s marital satisfaction on wives’ gender ideologies varies according to men’s own gender ideologies. Implications of the study are discussed.     

THEOLOGY AND THE SCIENCE WARS: WHO OWNS HUMAN NATURE?

Lluís Oviedo examines in his article the current conflict over human nature and the role of the sciences in the debate, suggesting that there may be a role for theology to play as well. In this essay I examine and respond to some aspects of Oviedo's article and suggest that the nature of the conflict needs to be nuanced to understand it as a conflict not between scientific and philosophical/social‐scientific views of human nature but among scientists, social scientists, and philosophers over the role of science in thinking about human nature. I analyze some of the obstacles for theology's becoming involved and propose that thinking about what are distinctively theological questions as opposed to scientific ones may be an appropriate starting point.     

Unpacking Competitiveness Within and Between Women: Discussion of “With Friends Like These,Who Needs Enemies?”

F. Diane Barth’s paper (this issue) illustrates how a woman’s competitiveness can set her up for significant psychic conflict and interpersonal strife. Achievement strivings are an arena in which “being for oneself” may undermine—in fantasy, but also in reality—one’s ability to “be for the other,” and vice versa. My discussion contextualizes Barth’s thinking in relation to earlier psychoanalytic explorations of the female gender identity and its development. I elaborate on the special challenges involved in the achievement-oriented and competitive urges of women in particular, and I attempt to parse more fully the diverse nature and motivational wellsprings of such strivings. While recognizing the author’s clear helpfulness to the patient, I raise a few questions about her theoretical position and technical approach in the case study she presents. In particular, I address what seems to me to be a dominant-submissive element that to some extent reenacts the competitive dynamic being analyzed.     

Parent-adolescent conflict in early adolescence

This study explored parent-adolescent conflict during the early years of adolescence (ages 11 to 14). The responses of 357 youths in Grades 6, 7, and 8 to the Issues Checklist (Prinz, Foster, Kent, & O'Leary, 1979) revealed frequent conflicts with parents over a sizable number of issues during this period, peaking in Grade 7 between parents and sons, with exchanges between parents and daughters consistently more than those with sons across the three grades. There was considerable variation in both the frequency and intensity of conflict across specific issues. In addition, a consistent pattern of gender-typing was observed in conflicts between parents and daughters, reflecting traditional gender role stereotypes. The results of this study point to the importance of examining both the frequency and intensity of conflict, the specific issues over which there is conflict, and the gender of the participants in order to more fully understand the nature of parent-adolescent conflict during early adolescence.     

Work-Home Role Conflict,Family Climate,and Domestic Responsibilities Among Men and Women in Dual-earner Families1

Correlates of work-home role conflict for dual-earner couples were examined. Respondents (N= 208) were an equal number of married, employed men and women with children. Data were collected in the northeastern U.S.A. through a survey which measured work-home role conflict, family climate, domestic responsibilities, and activities performed during one's free time. LISREL was used to determine if domestic responsibilities mediate the correlation between gender and work-home conflict. A regression analysis was used to determine the relative effects of domestic responsibilities and family climate on work-home conflict. Results indicate that (a) work-home role conflict is negatively related to family climate for men as well as for women, (b) gender differences in role conflict are partially attributable to gender differences in domestic responsibilities, and (c) domestic responsibilities and family climate each correlate significantly with work-home role conflict. Findings suggest that how one works hard (the conditions under which one lives) may be just as important as how hard one works (the number of tasks one performs).     

Interrole Conflict as a Function of Life Stage,Gender, and Gender-Related Personality Attributes

The purpose of the present study was to examine the amount and type of interrole conflict experienced by women and men at different life stages. A battery of questionnaires, including a demographic questionnaire, a role conflict scale, and the Bern Sex Role Inventory was administered to 244 married adults. The sample was primarily Caucasian. Overall, the impact of life stage, gender, and gender-related personality factors on interrole conflict was differentially influenced by the type of conflict assessed. Both women and men experienced the highest amount of conflict involving parent roles during the peak child-rearing years. In addition, employed men experienced a higher degree of interrole conflict between professional versus self roles than employed women. Married men experienced more spouse versus self role conflict than married women. Finally, instrumentality and interpersonal sensitivity proved to be two important predictors of interrole conflict above and beyond life stage and gender effects. Results are discussed in the context of societal changes towards traditional women and men's roles.     

Gender role conflict,instrumentality, expressiveness,and well-being in adult men

This study examined gender roles and gender role conflict in relation to a broad range of indices of psychological well-being in men. Eighty-eight community adult primarily white men (median age = 50) completed ten inventories assessing masculine role constructs and measures of psychological well-being. Whereas instrumentality continued to be the strongest correlate of traditional measures of well-being, the canonical analysis confirmed the Sharpe and Heppner 1991 study indicating that at least two roots or variates are needed to understand psychological well-being in men, and that expressivity and emotional well-being accounts for a third of the variance in adult men. The results also suggest a weak association between gender role conflict and psychological well-being. Implications and future research are discussed.     

Feminist Philosophy and the Genetic Fallacy

Feminist philosophy seems to conflict with traditional philosophical methodology. For example, some uses of the concept of gender by feminist philosophers seem to commit the genetic fallacy. I argue that use of the concept of gender need not commit the genetic fallacy, but that the concept of gender is problematic on other grounds.     

Evolutionary psychology is compatible with equity feminism, but not with gender feminism: A reply to Eagly and Wood (2011)

I comment on Eagly and Wood's biosocial constructionist evolutionary theory (2011; DOI: 10.1007/s11199-011-9949-9). Although this gender feminist theory allows for evolved physical differences between men and women and evolved psychological similarities for men and women, it fails to consider evolutionary accounts of psychological sex differences. I hypothesize that gender feminists' reluctance to acknowledge that evolution has left different fingerprints on men's and women's bodies and brains stems from two common misunderstandings of evolutionary psychology: the myth of immutability and the naturalistic fallacy. I conclude that although evolutionary psychology is eminently compatible with equity feminism, evolutionary psychology and feminist psychology will conflict as long as the latter adheres to gender feminism and its unwillingness to acknowledge the evidence for evolved psychological sex differences. Gender feminism's dualistic view of evolution hinders the search for and understanding of the proximate and ultimate causes of inequality. Feminist psychology needs to evolve by embracing equity feminism, which has no a priori stance on the origin or existence of differences between the sexes.     

Masculinities, Femininities, Behaviour and Health

Using the notion that gender is performed in daily life and through daily activities, I review some of the health behaviour literature which employs ideas about masculinity and femininity. I argue that recent theorising about both masculinities ( Connell & Messerschmidt, 2005 ) and femininities ( Schippers, 2007 ) can be extremely useful in this field. I consider two specific health behaviours in light of this theorising, namely healthy eating and drinking alcohol, and explore how and which versions of masculinities and femininities are played out, which are problematic, and what they mean for gender hegemony. I argue that across both areas (and across other health behaviours), there are three specific issues that are important and require further conceptual development and empirical work: (1) the relationality of gender; (2) masculinities and femininities as embodied; and (3) the local, contingent and intersectional nature of masculinities and femininities. This conceptual framework and the aspects of relationality, embodiment and intersectionality have important implications not only for understanding health behaviours, but for any social psychological work theorising identities and everyday social practice.     

The relationship between gender role ideals and psychological well-being

Previous research on the influence of gender roles upon psychological health has found that most effects may be due to participants' levels of masculine traits alone. This study investigated whether individual gender role ideals moderate the relationship between gender roles and psychological well-being. Eighty-three psychology undergraduate students of European descent were given a battery of measures of gender role and psychological well-being. Results of analysis of these tests suggest that the degree to which participants' gender-specific traits represent met or unmet ideals is a better predictor of psychological adjustment than personal gender role alone. Results also suggest that gender roles can diminish psychological well-being by creating conflict between personal beliefs about the nature of appropriate behavior and the actual demands of life situations. Theoretical implications and future research directions are discussed.     

Religious Queer People Beyond Identity Conflict: Lessons from Orthodox LGBT Jews in Israel

A key thread of research on how lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) persons of faith navigate and make sense of gender and sexual identities and desires that defy their religious traditions’ teachings focuses on identity conflict, management, negotiation, and reconciliation. Drawing on interviews with 64 Orthodox Jewish same-sex attracted persons in Israel, supplemented by physical and digital ethnographic data, I argue that the conflict frame is empirically imprecise and conceptually flawed. I demonstrate fluidity and ambivalence vis-à-vis religiosity and sexual identity and argue that ambivalence is generative: In the process of making sense of their sexual and religious selves, my respondents challenge what it means to be Orthodox and what it means to be same-sex attracted, thereby challenging the conflict frame's categorical schema. I then make the case for a more contextualized and dynamic framework for theorizing LGBT negotiations of religious and sexual identities. I also observe that the limitations of the conflict lens are symptomatic of broader tendencies in the sociology of religion to rely on U.S. and Christian cases and a pattern of limited engagement with work in other disciplines and subdisciplines.     

Interpersonal, Intragroup Conflict between Southern Baptist Pastors: A Qualitative Inquiry Examining Contributing Factors

This ethnographic examination examines interpersonal, intragroup conflict between Southern Baptist pastors in the USA with a focus on the factors that contribute to such conflict. First, literature is provided to demonstrate the history of the denomination, reasons for relational intragroup conflict between pastors working together in the same churches, and information on the prevalence and instances of interpersonal conflict. Second, this study employs qualitative research methods, namely in-depth interviewing and participant observation. Through engaging in interviews with the participants, statements were elicited from six Southern Baptist pastors (Pastors #1, #2, and #3, and Outside Baptist Pastors #1, #2, and #3) on the nature, reasons, and prevalence of such conflict between Southern Baptist pastoral leaders. As the sources of such conflict are diverse (i.e., historical events, spiritual reasons, organizational conflict, interpersonal differences, etc.), I argue that qualitatively analyzing and reporting on this subject is of value to scholars of ethnographic research and interpersonal communication in the religious and spiritual realms. Furthermore, since the consequences of conflict can be severe (i.e., forced pastoral terminations, damaged churches, failed spiritual missions, etc.), this study is important as it examines matters that give rise to conflicts. Finally, areas for future research are addressed.     

父母冲突、青少年应对策略及其与青少年社会适应的关系

以736名小学、初中、高中学生为被试,着重探讨了父母冲突内容、青少年应对策略和青少年社会适应之间的关系。研究发现:(1)父母冲突中指向孩子和指向父母自身的冲突普遍较少,但指向孩子的冲突显著地多于指向父母自身的冲突。指向孩子的冲突存在显著的性别和年级主效应;(2)青少年所使用的间接应对策略要显著地多于直接应对策略,直接应对和间接应对策略均存在显著的性别和年级主效应;(3)青少年的不良行为存在显著的性别主效应,学习问题、抑郁和主观幸福感存在显著的年级主效应;(4)父母冲突多的青少年和使用应对策略少的青少年出现的不良行为、学习问题和抑郁要显著地高于父母冲突少、使用应对策略多的青少年,但前者感受到的主观幸福感要显著地少于后者;(5)指向孩子的冲突和直接应对策略可以显著地预测青少年的不良行为,指向孩子和指向父母自身的冲突可以显著地预测青少年的学习问题。间接应对策略和指向父母自身的冲突可以显著地预测青少年的抑郁情绪,同时,间接应对策略可以显著地影响青少年的主观幸福感。     

Quand le genre s’en mêle : quelle conciliation entre vie professionnelle et vie privée ?

Declarations of conciliation between private life and professional life based on three factors (sex, gender and positions) are studied in this paper. Our goals were (i) to show that conciliation between the different life spheres need to be considered both in terms of conflict and of life enrichment; (ii) and to demonstrate that the gender variable has combined effects with sex variables, as well as with positions variables, over the perception of work in relation to family interferences in terms of nature (conflict/enrichment), intensity and direction (family over work versus work over family). The study, conducted with 240 employees of low or high professional positions, based on SWING and BSRI scales, shows the moderating effect of gender on the perceptions of conciliation, whether enriching or conflicting. Our results also allow us to conclude that congruent adjustment (masculine domination) of the levels of our three factors constitute a protecting factor for employees, while an incongruent adjustment can constitute a risk factor, this being especially verified for women.     

Margaret Cavendish on Gender,Nature, and Freedom

Some scholars have argued that Margaret Cavendish was ambivalent about women's roles and capabilities, for she seems sometimes to hold that women are naturally inferior to men, but sometimes that this inferiority is due to inferior education. I argue that attention to Cavendish's natural philosophy can illuminate her views on gender. In section II I consider the implications of Cavendish's natural philosophy for her views on male and female nature, arguing that Cavendish thought that such natures were not fixed. However, I argue that although Cavendish thought women needed to be better educated, and could change if they had such an education, she also thought their education should reinforce the feminine virtues. Section III examines Cavendish's notorious “Preface to the Reader” (from The Worlds Olio), where Cavendish claims that women are naturally inferior in strength and intelligence to men. Section IV addresses another notorious Cavendish text, “Female Orations,” arguing that its message is similar to that of the “Preface to the Reader.” Nonetheless, although Cavendish held conventional views about male and female nature and appropriate gender roles, she also recognized how social institutions could limit women's freedom; section V explores the complexities of Cavendish's critique of one such institution, patriarchal marriage.     

Trauma and Gender

The meaning of trauma within psychology has for a long time been viewed mostly from a ‘pathologising’ standpoint. Viewed as pathology, people's trauma may become understood using a singular lens thereby leaving out broader contextual (social, environmental, political, historical, economical etc.) aspects that have been shown to play a role in the subjective experience of various forms of suffering. Psychology has for a long time been quick to diagnose victims of traumatic experiences from an individualistic perspective, almost always positioning the ‘problem’ within the person. As a result of the Vietnam War, World Wars I and II and the Holocaust, the rise in the diagnosing of PTSD gave way to the labelling of trauma. Within psychology, post‐traumatic stress disorder has become the way to operationalise suffering, and I would like to argue that this occludes how suffering lives in a family, a community and in gendered bodies. The gendering of trauma continues to be a silenced space. There is a need to highlight and acknowledge the gendered nature of suffering which begs for trauma to be understood in context and not as an isolated act or occurrence affecting the individual. Women have remained, and in many ways continue to remain, silenced with minimal opportunities to name the world for themselves. This paper seeks to provide a critical analysis of the notion of trauma (and its intersection with gender) that arises from conflict and post‐conflict situations.