Masculinity and Environmental Engagement

地球及其生命系统的可持续性正受到人类消费影响的挑战。过去的研究表明，女性比男性更关心环境问题。然而，仔细观察，性别差异是微妙和复杂的。例如，将人类消费对环境的影响降至最低的行为往往与男性(例如，在水龙头上安装低流量曝气器)或女性(例如，用反射日光的浅色装饰房间)有关。此外，旨在激励有利于环境的行动的信息是通过唤起可能与男性(例如愤怒)或女性(例如担忧)有关的刻板印象中的情绪来实现的。这项建议中所载的实验室实验和代表性调查研究审查了与环境有关的行为和情感的性别性质是否会影响男性和女性的环境态度和行为。更具体地说，PI提出性别匹配，即人们倾向于选择与他们各自的性别角色相匹配的行为和情感，可以帮助解释环境参与中的性别差异。然而，与女性气质相比，男性气质更具限制性，必须不断地断言，当从事性别不匹配的行为时，很容易受到威胁。男子气概的这些特征可能会使性别匹配对男性比对女性更重要，特别是在男性中，对他们来说，男子气概更重要。这往往会导致男性对环保行为和情绪产生更大的抵触情绪。最后，当男子气概受到威胁时，男性会努力恢复他们的男子气概，这可能包括可能损害环境的竞争行为和冒险行为。基于这一分析，PIs建议测试三个新的理论命题，这些命题具体说明了男性气概和环境参与之间的联系。首先，由于男子气概是男性珍视的社会认同，男性支持性别一致的亲环境行为(例如，为女性提供有机解决方案，为男性提供技术解决方案)的倾向比女性更强烈。其次，内化了男子气概的文化理想的男性将特别有可能抵制性别不匹配的环境参与。第三，当男子气概受到威胁时，男性会更愿意从事破坏环境和危险的行为，因为这些行为符合男性角色规范。本研究为解释文化对个体环境相关行为的影响提供了必要的理论框架。在应用层面上，拟议的研究解决了一个内在重要的社会问题(可持续性)。这项研究还将包括女性和少数民族学生作为本科生和研究生的研究助理。学生将接受研究方法、批判性思维和数据分析方面的培训，并将指导他们陈述这项研究的科学发现。我们的发现将发表在科学期刊上，并对试图让公众参与到对环境负责的行为的企业和政府机构有用。

The sustainability of the earth and its living systems are being challenged by the impacts of human consumption. Past research indicates that women report being more concerned than men about environmental problems. Upon closer examination, however, the gender differences are nuanced and complex. For instance, behaviors that minimize the impact of human consumption on the environment tend to be stereotypically associated with either men (e.g., installing low-flow aerators in faucets) or women (e.g., decorating rooms with light colors that reflect daylight). In addition, messages designed to inspire pro-environmental actions do so via the arousal of emotions that may be stereotypically associated with either men (e.g., anger) or women (e.g., worry). The lab experiments and representative survey studies contained in this proposal examine whether the gendered nature of environmentally relevant behaviors and emotions affect men and women's environmental attitudes and behaviors. More specifically, the PIs propose that gender matching, or the tendency for people to prefer behaviors and emotions that match their respective gender roles, can help explain gender differences in environmental engagement. Compared to femininity, however, masculinity is more restrictive, must be continual asserted, and is readily susceptible to threats when engaging in gender mismatched behaviors. These characteristics of masculinity could make gender matching more important for men than women, especially among men for whom being masculine is more important. This could often result in men's greater resistance to pro-environmental behaviors and emotions. Finally, when masculinity is threatened, men respond with efforts to restore their masculinity which could include competitive behaviors and risk taking that could harm the environment. Based on this analysis, the PIs propose to test three novel theoretical propositions that specify linkages between masculinity and environmental engagement. First, because masculinity is a cherished social identity for men, the tendency to support pro-environmental behaviors that are gender consistent (e.g., organic solutions for women, technological solutions for men) is stronger for men than women. Second, men who have internalized cultural ideals of masculinity will be particularly likely to resist gender mismatched environmental engagement. Third, when masculinity is threatened, men will be more willing to engage in environmentally damaging and risky behaviors because these behaviors are consistent with masculine role norms. This research provides a needed theoretical framework to explain cultural influences on individual environmentally relevant behaviors. At an applied level, the proposed studies address an inherently important social problem (sustainability). This research will also involve women and minority students as undergraduate and graduate student research assistants. Students will be trained in research methods, critical thinking and data analyses and will be mentored in making their presentation of scientific findings from this research. Our findings will be published in scientific journals and be useful for businesses and government agencies who are attempting to engage the public in environmentally responsible behavior.