Gender Role Stress

Gender role stress is an umbrella term generally used to describe the perceived physical distress associated with violating male and female gender role stereotypes. The concept is most often studied in samples of men (i.e., masculine gender role stress) and grew from the original work of Richard Eisler and Jay Skidmore in 1987 examining men’s experiences of stress. Subsequent research has indicated that higher levels of masculine gender role stress have been associated with mental and physical health problems, as well as men’s violence toward women and gay men. This entry provides a brief overview of the original masculine gender [Page 721]role stress theory and key findings related to the construct. The entry concludes with an overview of extensions of the theory, including feminine gender ...