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The Journal of the Acoustical Society... Feb 2024Auditory attribution of speaker gender has historically been assumed to operate within a binary framework. The prevalence of gender diversity and its associated...
Auditory attribution of speaker gender has historically been assumed to operate within a binary framework. The prevalence of gender diversity and its associated sociophonetic variability motivates an examination of how listeners perceptually represent these diverse voices. Utterances from 30 transgender (1 agender individual, 15 non-binary individuals, 7 transgender men, and 7 transgender women) and 30 cisgender (15 men and 15 women) speakers were used in an auditory free classification paradigm, in which cisgender listeners classified the speakers on perceived general similarity and gender identity. Multidimensional scaling of listeners' classifications revealed two-dimensional solutions as the best fit for general similarity classifications. The first dimension was interpreted as masculinity/femininity, where listeners organized speakers from high to low fundamental frequency and first formant frequency. The second was interpreted as gender prototypicality, where listeners separated speakers with fundamental frequency and first formant frequency at upper and lower extreme values from more intermediate values. Listeners' classifications for gender identity collapsed into a one-dimensional space interpreted as masculinity/femininity. Results suggest that listeners engage in fine-grained analysis of speaker gender that cannot be adequately captured by a gender dichotomy. Further, varying terminology used in instructions may bias listeners' gender judgements.
Topics: Humans; Male; Female; Speech Perception; Voice Quality; Speech Acoustics; Masculinity; Sexual and Gender Minorities
PubMed: 38364044
DOI: 10.1121/10.0024521 -
Health Promotion International Feb 2022Scholars have consistently documented the relationship between conformity to traditional masculine norms and maladaptive psychosocial outcomes among boys and young men.... (Review)
Review
Scholars have consistently documented the relationship between conformity to traditional masculine norms and maladaptive psychosocial outcomes among boys and young men. Given current social commentary, including debate around 'toxic masculinity', intervention is needed to encourage boys to embody healthy expressions and identities of masculinity. Whilst new approaches grounded in positive masculinity show promise, the construct requires further definition and phenomenological clarity. Here we review divergent perspectives on positive masculinity, and forward a refined definition, specific to psychosocial health promotion among boys and young men. We then outline the theoretical basis of a positive masculinity framework to guide the content of future interventions, aiming to achieve positive identity development among boys and young men for the good of all. This framework represents a necessary unification of scholarship around male adolescent development, education and health. Future health promotion interventions may benefit from applying the framework to support a positive psychosocial trajectory among boys and young men, with a focus on connection, motivation and authenticity.
Topics: Adolescent; Health Promotion; Health Status; Humans; Male; Masculinity; Schools; Social Behavior
PubMed: 33842967
DOI: 10.1093/heapro/daab031 -
BMJ Case Reports Jan 2021We present an unusual case of mucinous cystadenoma presenting with severe virilisation in a postmenopausal woman. A 71-year-old woman was referred to our outpatient...
We present an unusual case of mucinous cystadenoma presenting with severe virilisation in a postmenopausal woman. A 71-year-old woman was referred to our outpatient endocrinology clinic because of rapidly progressive androgenic alopecia, clitoromegaly and male pattern pubic hair growth for 1 year. Her medical history was unremarkable. The serum testosterone level was 3.35 µg/L (normal range, <0.4 µg/L), and the dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate level was 267 µg/L (normal range, 100-800 µg/L). MRI of the abdomen revealed a 4×4 cm cystic ovarian mass. A bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy was performed, and histopathology showed a unilocular cystic structure with a yellowish content, compatible with mucinous cystadenoma. Postoperative testosterone levels quickly normalised (<0.4 µg/L).Rapidly developing postmenopausal hyperandrogenism easily turns into a diagnostic challenge for the clinician. Hormone-secreting neoplasms of the ovary are most commonly of sex cord stromal derivation, but atypical causes must be recognised as well. Cystadenomas are among the most common benign ovarian neoplasms and are classically considered 'non-functional' tumours. Most of these tumours are asymptomatic and found incidentally on pelvic examination or with ultrasound. To date and to the best of our knowledge, there are only five cases of mucinous adenoma causing virilisation in postmenopausal women identified in the literature. This sixth case adds strength to the link between ovarian mucinous cystadenoma and severe, rapidly progressive hyperandrogenism during menopause. In this case, surgical resection is the treatment of choice.
Topics: Aged; Cystadenoma, Mucinous; Female; Humans; Hyperandrogenism; Ovarian Neoplasms; Postmenopause; Salpingo-oophorectomy; Testosterone; Virilism
PubMed: 33414114
DOI: 10.1136/bcr-2020-237505 -
Social Science & Medicine (1982) Jul 2023Trans and nonbinary experiences of menstruation are subject to menstrual discourse that is deeply gendered. Terms such as "feminine hygiene" and "women's health" make...
Trans and nonbinary experiences of menstruation are subject to menstrual discourse that is deeply gendered. Terms such as "feminine hygiene" and "women's health" make trans and nonbinary people acutely aware that they fall outside of the ideal of the default menstruator. To better understand how such language affects menstruators who are not cis women and what alternative linguistic strategies they adopt, we conducted a cyberethnography of 24 YouTube videos created by trans and nonbinary menstruators, along with their 12,000-plus comments. We observed a range of menstrual experiences-dysphoria, tensions between femininity and masculinity, and transnormative pressures. Using grounded theory, we identified three distinct linguistic strategies vloggers adopted to navigate these experiences: (1) avoiding standard and feminizing language; (2) reframing language through masculinization; and (3) challenging transnormativity. The avoidance of standard and feminizing language, coupled with a reliance on vague and negative euphemisms, revealed feelings of dysphoria. Masculinizing strategies, on the other hand, navigated dysphoria through euphemisms-or even hyper-euphemisms-that showed an effort to reclaim menstruation to fit within the trans and nonbinary experience. Vloggers responded through tropes of hegemonic masculinity, using puns and wordplay, and sometimes relying on hypermasculinity and transnormativity. Transnormativity, however, can be polarizing, and vloggers and commenters who rejected stratification of trans and nonbinary menstruation challenged it. Taken together, these videos not only uncover an overlooked community of menstruators who demonstrate unique linguistic engagement with menstruation, but they also reveal destigmatization and inclusion strategies that can inform critical menstruation activism and research as a whole.
Topics: Male; Humans; Female; Masculinity; Women's Health; Language; Menstruation; Linguistics; Transgender Persons
PubMed: 37269746
DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.115974 -
Journal of Affective Disorders Nov 2021This meta-analytic review aimed to systematically evaluate associations of depression with multiple gender role dimensions (masculinity, femininity, androgyny, and... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
This meta-analytic review aimed to systematically evaluate associations of depression with multiple gender role dimensions (masculinity, femininity, androgyny, and undifferentiated traits) and to determine potential moderators (participant characteristics, study instruments and sociocultural factors) of the relationship.
METHODS
Of 4481 initially identified records in three electronic databases, 58 studies published 1978 to 2021 were included for meta-analysis.
RESULTS
(1) Association of depression and gender role is moderated by study year and human development indices. (2) Masculinity is a protective factor for depression, while this dominance has declined as life expectancy increases. (3) A negative, weak but significant association between depression and femininity is observed in women, and college students, which starts to emerge with the gradual increase in the national education and income index from 1990 to 2019. (4) Androgynous individuals reported the lowest level of depression as compared with other gender role orientations (masculine, feminine, and undifferentiated trait group). This disparity is becoming more extreme with life expectancy and per capita income index increases.
LIMITATIONS
English-language studies were only included in this review.
CONCLUSIONS
Androgyny might be the most ideal gender role protecting both women and men from depression.
Topics: Depression; Female; Femininity; Gender Identity; Gender Role; Humans; Male; Masculinity; Students
PubMed: 34304081
DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.07.018 -
American Journal of Men's Health 2024Gender-responsive healthcare is critical to advancing men's health given that masculinities intersect with other social determinants to impact help-seeking, engagement... (Review)
Review
Gender-responsive healthcare is critical to advancing men's health given that masculinities intersect with other social determinants to impact help-seeking, engagement with primary healthcare, and patient outcomes. A scoping review was undertaken with the aim to synthesize gender-responsive approaches used by healthcare providers (HCPs) to engage men with primary healthcare. MEDLINE, PubMed, CINAHL, and PsycINFO databases were searched for articles published between 2000 and February 2024. Titles and abstracts for 15,659 citations were reviewed, and 97 articles met the inclusion criteria. Data were extracted and analyzed thematically. Thirty-three approaches were synthesized from across counseling/psychology, general practice, social work, nursing, psychiatry, pharmacy, and unspecified primary healthcare settings. These were organized into three interrelated themes: (a) tailoring communication to reach men; (b) purposefully structuring treatment to meet men's health needs, and (c) centering the therapeutic alliance to retain men in care. Strength-based and asset-building approaches focused on reading and responding to a diversity of masculinities was reinforced across the three findings. While these approaches are recommended for the judicious integration into health practitioner education and practice, this review highlighted that the evidence remains underdeveloped, particularly for men who experience health inequities. Critical priorities for further research include intersectional considerations and operationalizing gender-responsive healthcare approaches for men and its outcomes, particularly at first point-of-contact encounters.
Topics: Male; Humans; Masculinity; Men's Health; Communication; Health Personnel; Primary Health Care
PubMed: 38606788
DOI: 10.1177/15579883241241090 -
Social Science & Medicine (1982) Sep 2023Shifts in gender roles, identities and relations since the 1980s are continuing to influence masculinities within intimate partner relationships. Forefront in men's...
Shifts in gender roles, identities and relations since the 1980s are continuing to influence masculinities within intimate partner relationships. Forefront in men's contemporary heterosexual relationships have been calls for gender equality and gender equity as a means to promoting the mental health and well-being of partners and their families. Most previous research has focused on a pathologized role of men in relationships (e.g., intimate partner violence). Little is known about how men perceive intimate partner relationships using a strength-based perspective. The current photovoice study addressed the research question, 'What are the connections between masculinities and men's heterosexual intimate partner relationships?' to highlight young men's (19-43 years-old) experiences of, and perspectives about their intimate partner relationships. Drawing from individual Zoom interviews with 92 heterosexual, cisgender men from 14 countries, we abductively derived three masculine typologies: 1) neo-traditionalist, 2) egalitarian and 3) progressive. Twenty-two (24%) participants embodied neo-traditionalist masculinities characterized by reliance's on traditional masculine norms that assign domesticities as feminine and prize masculine breadwinner and protector roles. Half of the participants (50%, n = 46) purposefully distanced themselves from traditional masculine norms to engage egalitarian masculinities. These men idealized equal (50-50) contributions and reciprocity wherein counts were often used to evaluate each partner's relative efforts and contributions to the relationship. Progressive masculinities were evident in 26% (n = 24) of participants who focused on fairness and social justice, checking their own privilege to justly operate within the relationship, and more broadly in society. The three typologies are grounded in men's heterosexual intimate partner gender relations, and advance masculinity frameworks to guide future health-research, policy and practice. In addition, there are opportunities for men's mental health promotion by prompting readers' reflexivity to thoughtfully consider what they idealize, and where they map in relation to the masculine typologies featured in the current article.
Topics: Male; Humans; Young Adult; Adult; Heterosexuality; Masculinity; Health Promotion; Interpersonal Relations; Intimate Partner Violence
PubMed: 37597419
DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.116143 -
Accident; Analysis and Prevention Oct 2021Driver anger and its expression are among the most studied topics in traffic safety literature. However, the function of gender roles, i.e., masculinity and femininity,...
Driver anger and its expression are among the most studied topics in traffic safety literature. However, the function of gender roles, i.e., masculinity and femininity, in driving anger experience and expression has remained mainly unexplored. The present study investigates the association between driving anger and gender roles on the expression of anger among young drivers. Three hundred seventy-nine young drivers filled a questionnaire including the Driving Anger Scale, Bem Sex Roles Inventory, Driving Anger Expression Inventory, and demographic information. Moderated regression analyses showed that masculine gender role and anger provoked by other road users' discourtesy were positively and femininity negatively related to verbal aggression while driving. Anger related to police presence, slow driving, and masculine gender role were positively related to gesture-based and vehicle-based expression of driver aggression. Hostility and feminine gender role were negatively related to the gesture-based expression of driver aggression, while anger related to witnessing illegal driving and feminine gender role were negatively related to the vehicle-based expression of aggression. The interaction effects between masculinity and hostility, masculinity and slow driving, and femininity and illegal driving were also found on the gesture-based expression of driver aggression. The effects of interaction between masculinity and slow driving and femininity and illegal driving were also found on the vehicle-based expression of driver aggression. Slow driving and femininity had a positive relationship to the adaptive expression of anger in driving. The results suggest that masculinity and femininity moderate the relationship between driving anger and the expression of driving anger among young drivers.
Topics: Accidents, Traffic; Aggression; Anger; Automobile Driving; Female; Femininity; Humans; Male; Masculinity
PubMed: 34403907
DOI: 10.1016/j.aap.2021.106347 -
The Journal of Endocrinology Sep 2023Since the discovery in 1968 that dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is a major mediator of androgen action, a convincing body of evidence has accumulated to indicate that the...
Since the discovery in 1968 that dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is a major mediator of androgen action, a convincing body of evidence has accumulated to indicate that the major pathway of DHT formation is the 5α-reduction of circulating testosterone in androgen target tissues. However, we now know that DHT can also be formed in peripheral tissues by the oxidation of 5α-androstane-3α,17β-diol (adiol). This pathway is responsible for the formation of the male phenotype. We discuss the serendipitous discovery in the tammar wallaby of an alternate pathway by which adiol is formed in the testes, secreted into plasma and converted in peripheral tissues to DHT. This alternate pathway is responsible for virilisation of the urogenital system in this species and is present in the testes at the onset of male puberty of all mammals studied so far. This is the first clear-cut function for steroid 5α-reductase 1 in males. Unexpectedly, the discovery of this pathway in this Australian marsupial has had a major impact in understanding the pathophysiology of aberrant virilisation in female newborns. Overactivity of the alternate pathway appears to explain virilisation in congenital adrenal hyperplasia CAH, in X-linked 46,XY disorders of sex development. It also appears to be important in polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) since PCOS ovaries have enhanced the expression of genes and proteins of the alternate pathway. It is now clear that normal male development in marsupials, rodents and humans requires the action of both the classic and the alternate (backdoor) pathways.
Topics: Infant, Newborn; Humans; Animals; Male; Female; Androgens; Australia; Testosterone; Dihydrotestosterone; Macropodidae; Virilism
PubMed: 37343228
DOI: 10.1530/JOE-22-0296 -
Psychiatry Research May 2021Sex (a biological distinction) and gender (a social construct) are inter-related, but semi-independent measures. The aim of our research was to compare gender role...
Sex (a biological distinction) and gender (a social construct) are inter-related, but semi-independent measures. The aim of our research was to compare gender role endorsement between first-episode schizophrenia spectrum disorder patients (n=77) and matched controls (n=64). The Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI) was used to assess masculinity and femininity scores as separate linear measures. This well-known research instrument also allowed us to examine gender as a categorical measure based on sex-specific cut-off scores calculated for controls as our normative reference sample using a median-split technique. First, we found that both masculinity and femininity scores differed between patients and controls. The distribution of gender as a categorical measure also differed between the two groups. Post-hoc testing with correction for multiple comparisons identified masculinity scores in particular as being lower in both male and female patients compared to controls of the corresponding sex. In conclusion, lower masculinity scores reported for chronic schizophrenia also affects first-episode patients with minimal prior treatment exposure irrespective of their biological sex. Future studies would do well to examine the associations of sex and gender with clinical and treatment outcomes from the perspective of the neurodevelopmental model of schizophrenia as a proposed "disorder of the self".
Topics: Female; Femininity; Gender Identity; Gender Role; Humans; Male; Masculinity; Personality Inventory; Schizophrenia
PubMed: 33751988
DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2021.113867