Psychology

Theory and research on gender are always precarious

Document Type

Article

Abstract

Scientific and social values are inevitably embedded in any scholarship, but theory and research on gender can be particularly precarious given the contextual and constitutive nature of gendered experiences. We consider the body of research on precarious manhood from a broader perspective on values and goals in theory and research on gender. We address not only the internal validity of research on precarious manhood, but also its potential broader social implications. We begin by summarizing a functional- contextual epistemic perspective on research and scholarship in the psychology of men and explain how it can be useful for evaluating programs of research. This leads to three sets of questions regarding the role of assumptions about the nature of gender within research on precarious manhood, before the research is conducted, and after the research has been disseminated. An alternative approach to studying the precariousness of gender is offered to promote the deconstruction of gender stereotypes © 2012 American Psychological Association.

Publication Title

Psychology of Men and Masculinity

Publication Date

2013

Volume

14

Issue

2

First Page

114

Last Page

116

ISSN

1524-9220

DOI

10.1037/a0030960

Keywords

critical theory, epistemology, gender, masculinity

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