Is "Masculinity" a Problem?: Framing the Effects of Gendered Social Learning in Men

The construct of masculinity has achieved a place of virtual hegemony within research and practice in the psychology of men. We argue that "masculinity" as it is currently conceptualized pays too little attention to the contingent and contextual effects of gendered social learning in men. The result is a substantive limit on prediction and influence in scientific domains, and the risk of perpetuating essentialist discourse about gender in public domains. We offer a pragmatic and functional view of theory development and research in the social sciences in which we identify the eradication of gender inequality and the promotion of human well-being as core values in the psychology of men. We then show how a reformulated model of gendered social learning has the potential to enhance scientific prediction and influence, and also promote a social discourse in the public domain that is consistent with the core values of the field.