Men's Gender Role Conflict Psychological Costs, Consequences, and an Agenda for Change

Men’s gender role conflict (GRC) is a psychological state in which restrictive definitions of masculinity limit individual well-being and overall human potential. GRC is a problem for boys and men, girls and women, transgendered people, and society at large. It is related to numerous problems, such as sexism, violence, homophobia, depression, and substance abuse.

Combining over 30 years of research in men’s psychology and the author’s own experience in conceptualizing GRC, this book promotes activism and challenges the status quo, calling on researchers and clinicians to confront GRC and reduce its harmful effects.

Features:

• Discusses practical applications of GRC theory in psychotherapy and in educational and preventative programs .

• Synthesizes over 300 studies of the Gender Role Conflict Scale (GRCS), providing multiple directions for researchers to pursue.

James M. O'Neil, PhD, is a professor of educational psychology and family studies in the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut as well as a licensed psychologist in private practice in South Windsor, Connecticut. In 1975, he received his doctorate from the Department of Counseling and Personnel Services at the University of Maryland.
 
He is a Fellow of APA in Divisions 17 (Society of Counseling Psychology), 35 (Society for the Psychology of Women), 43 (Society for Family Psychology), 51 (Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinity), 52 (International Psychology), and 56 (Trauma Psychology). He is one of the founding members of the Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinity and was named Researcher of the Year in 1997 for his 20-year research program on men's gender role conflict.
 
Dr. O'Neil's research programs relate to men and masculinity, gender role conflict, the psychology of men and women, and violence and victimization. He has published more than 100 journal articles and book chapters, and his most recent book, coauthored with Michele Harway, What Causes Men's Violence Against Women? (1999), has been translated into Japanese and Korean.
 
In 1991, he was awarded a Fulbright Teaching Scholarship by the Council for International Exchange of Scholars, to lecture in the former Soviet Union. In 1995, he was awarded Teaching Fellow status, the most prestigious distinction for a professor at the University of Connecticut, for his outstanding excellence and dedication to the university teaching. In 2008, he received the Distinguished Professional Service Award from APA Division 51 for his 25-year research program on men's gender role conflict and his advocacy for teaching the psychology of men in the United States.
 
He has advocated for professional activism with gender role and social justice issues throughout his 40 years as a counseling psychologist.