Gender role conflict and family environment as predictors of men's marital satisfaction.

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between male gender role conflict, family environment, and marital satisfaction. Seventy married men completed self-report instruments measuring 4 aspects of male gender role conflict, 2 aspects of family environment, and marital satisfaction. Results indicate that restrictive emotionality, conflicts between work or school and family relations, and family cohesion are related to marital satisfaction. The various factors of male gender role conflict and family environment account for 46.8% of the variance in marital satisfaction. The results suggest that men who have lower levels of marital satisfaction are less able or willing to express emotions, have higher levels of conflict between work or school and family relationship, and have lower levels of family cohesion. This article is based on the doctoral dissertation of James L. Campbell under the direction of Brent M. Snow. We thank Glenn E. Good, John C. Jessell, and three anonymous reviewers for their comments on earlier drafts of this article.

Potential benefits of expressive writing for male college students with varying degrees of restrictive emotionality.

“…Women who perceived their partners as having lower levels of restrictive emotionality also reported greater relationship satisfaction. A unique strength of this study is that unlike previous studies that relied on men's self-reports (e.g., Campbell & Snow, 1992;Sharpe & Heppner, 1991), the researchers examined women's perceptions of their male partners.…”

“…A factor analysis of various emotionrelated constructs revealed that restrictive emotionality formed part of a higher-order factor that tapped into men's difficulty with emotional communication in interpersonal contexts (Wong et al, 2006). Congruent with these notions, there is a widening body of studies showing that emotionally restricted men suffer a range of interpersonal problems such as difficulties with relationship intimacy (Sharpe & Heppner, 1991), fear of intimacy (Fischer & Good, 1997;Thomas, 2005), marital and relationship dissatisfaction (Campbell & Snow, 1992;Sharpe, 1994), decreased closeness in male friendships (Sileo, 1996), and hostile and rigid interpersonal behavior (Mahalik, 2000).…”

Multicultural coping: Chinese Canadian adolescents, male gender role conflict, and psychological distress.

“…Additionally, for some men, GRC correlates with decreased (a) self-esteem (Sharpe & Heppner, 1991), (b) marital satisfaction (Campbell & Snow, 1992), (c) likelihood of seeking psychological help (Good, Dell, & Mintz, 1989;Robertson & Fitzgerald, 1992); and (d) emotional expressiveness (O'Neil et al, 1986;Stillson, O'Neil, & Owen, 1991). Furthermore, empirical research confirming that the construct of GRC generalizes across cultures is now beginning to emerge (Liu, 2002;Simonsen, Blazina, & Watkins, 2000;Wade, 1996;Wester, Vogel, Wei, & McLain, in press).…”

Spouses’ Gender Role Attitudes, Wives’ Employment Status, and Mexican-Origin Husbands’ Marital Satisfaction

“…Studies have addressed the negative effect of husbands' gender role conflict (i.e., their level of dissonance between their own gender role attitudes and behavior) on husbands' marital satisfaction (e.g., Campbell & Snow, 1992). The unique challenges of obligatory maternal employment and financial hardship faced specifically by Mexican immigrant men make them a particularly important group to study.…”

“…Esteinou (2007) husbands' marital satisfaction, including: spouses' psychological distress, aggression, gender role conflict, work-to-family conflict, provider-role ideologies, satisfaction with the division of labor women's work hours and preferences for paid employment, and the strategies couples' employ in decision-making around wives' employment and work hours (Campbell & Snow, 1992;Falconier, 2013;Gonzalez, 2008;Grzywacz et al, 2009;Helms et al, 2010;Minnotte et al, 2010;Ross et al, 1983;Yucel, 2012;Zvonkovic, Schmiege, & Hall, 1994). From a broader contextual perspective, future exploration of this study's key variables and how the interaction between them may be shaped by the extent to which paid employment is normative among low-income women in the sending and receiving communities and couples' social class in Mexico and the US may be beneficial as well (Bush et al, 2005;Santos, Bohon, & Sanchez, 1998;Menjivar, 2003).…”