Measuring masculinity norms: the development of the “Hegemonic Masculinity Norms Scale” in the MEN4DEM project

The wide literature on masculinity identifies different types of masculinity. Hegemonic masculinity refers to the type of masculinity legitimating unequal gender relations (between men and women, between masculinity and femininity and among masculinities). Hegemonic masculine norms for the "ideal man" include traits and practices such as being strong (also: muscular strength), successful, independent, unemotional, and in control. Hypermasculinity, aggressivity/violence, sexual prowess are generally glorified. Differently, caring masculinity refers to the idea that, without rejecting masculinity, men are able to adopt what (traditionally) is seen as a feminine characteristic. The emotional dimension is a crucial aspect of caring masculinity, alongside sensitivity, interdependence, caring. Also, recent research refers of men negotiating masculinity e.g., not feeling challenged ‘as men’ because of their caregiving roles but reinforce interest in ‘manly’ hobbies and sports suggesting processes in which men (especially fathers) reject and at the same time maintain aspects of hegemonic masculinities: they negotiate what aspects of masculinity do not fit with their identity and what they do. Extreme-right ideologies as well as the manosphere ideology tend to privilege hegemonic masculinity, which legitimizes unequal gender relations and anti-democratic stands. But do these views belong only to these ideologies? To what extent are instead present in public opinion? This contribution has a two-folds goal: measure social norms of hegemonic masculinity and explore their spread among the general population in six European countries. To this aim, a new scale has been developed in the context of the MEN4DEM (Masculinities for the future of European democracy – Horizon Europe, GA n. 101177356). Building on previous research, the “Hegemonic Masculinity Norms Scale” brings the following innovation: it combines a multidimensional perspective to masculinity with a continuum approach in measurement, allowing for an in-depth analysis of public opinion on masculinity, an aspect still largely unexplored. The contribution will report, both conceptually and empirically, on the development of the scale, cross-cultural comparability challenges, and results from the survey experiment conducted to assess reliability and validity. The final measurement is then used to show the spread of hegemonic masculinity norms in Greece, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, and Sweden (N=800 in each country).