What a father, such a son: scientists have found out what determines the masculinity of adolescents

Modern men express their masculinity in different ways. Some stick to traditional models with a conviction of their superiority, while others take a more progressive stance. Scientists from the University of Queensland (Australia) decided to find out how these views are formed.

For this, the authors research analyzed the data of 839 pairs of 15-20-year-old boys and their fathers. The information was taken from a major Australian national study male health.

Respondents were asked to answer 22 questions about masculinity in different contexts. For example, they were asked about their attitude to the manifestation of emotions, how much they approve of aggressive behavior, what importance they attach to looking heterosexual and have multiple sexual partners, as well as their social status, dominance, including over women, victories and other.

It turned out that adolescents are, on average, somewhat more conservative in expressing their masculinity than their fathers. According to the traditional

masculinity from 0 to 100, the average score among boys was 44.1, their parents - 41. In general, their answers often coincided in 20 questions out of 22.

The researchers then analyzed the association based on other factors that may also determine masculinity. These include, in particular, age, education, sexual orientation, religion, family income and place of residence. The results were clear: the children of fathers with traditional views adhered to a similar position.

The strongest bonds between father and son were found in terms of approval of violence, the importance of appearing heterosexual, and the possibility of having multiple sexual partners. This indicates that these aspects of masculinity are more likely to be "passed on" through generations, the study notes.

The authors emphasize that fathers are not the only source of influence on sons. But it is from them that children learn to a greater extent about how to be a man.