APA handbook of men and masculinities
ISBN: 9781433818554
Platform/Publisher: PsycBOOKS / American Psychological Association
Digital rights: Users: Unlimited; Printing: Chapter; Download: Chapter
Subjects: Sex Roles & Women''s Issues;

The psychology of men and masculinities is a broad, interdisciplinary field devoted to the study of how men's and boys' lives are shaped by biopsychosociocultural influences as well as the constellation of meanings associated with the male biological sex. The use of the term ""masculinities"" reflects the editors' belief that there are diverse meanings associated with being male that vary across time, situations, social groups, and cultures.

In the past three decades, there has been an exponential growth in empirical psychological research on men and masculinities, although this emerging body of research has yet to be appropriately summarized, synthesized, and critically evaluated. This APA handbook addresses that lack with a strong focus on psychological science. It tackles the full spectrum of the theoretical, empirical, and practical, not only focusing on the extant literature in traditional areas of men and masculinities, but also highlighting new and emerging scholarship.>

The handbook is divided into four sections.
The first section addresses historical, conceptual, and methodological issues. Readers will be exposed to a wide range of theoretical perspectives on men and masculinities (e.g., biological, evolutionary, social norms, gender role conflict, social constructionist, and feminist) as well as methodological (quantitative and qualitative) approaches to studying men and masculinities.
The second section examines specific populations of men with a strong focus on developmental, cultural, and sexual orientation diversity.
The third section focuses on specific topics relevant to men's lives, such as careers, education, sexism, violence, and emotions.
The fourth and final section addresses several application domains, including men's helping seeking patterns, physical health, mental health, and experience of psychotherapy.

Each chapter investigates future directions, along with unresolved issues or emerging concerns.

Y. Joel Wong, PhD, is an associate professor in the APA-accredited program in counseling psychology at Indiana University, USA. Dr. Wong obtained his doctoral degree in counseling psychology from the University Texas at Austin and completed his APA-accredited internship at the University of Texas' Counseling and Mental Health Center.

Dr. Wong has published more than 70 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. His main research interests are in the psychology of men and masculinities, Asian American mental health, and positive psychology. Within the psychology of men and masculinities, Dr. Wong is broadly interested in basic theoretical conceptualizations of masculinities, how these conceptualizations can be operationalized and assessed, and their implications for individuals' well-being. In particular, Dr. Wong has studied men's emotional lives and the intersection of race, culture, and masculinities from social psychological and social constructionist perspectives.

Dr. Wong is an associate editor with two APA journals -- Psychology of Men and Masculinity and the Journal of Counseling Psychology. He has also received several awards for his research, including the Researcher of the Year Award (APA Division 51: Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinity; 2011), the Early Career Award for Distinguished Contribution to Research (Asian American Psychological Association, 2012), the Emerging Professional Contributions to Research Award (APA Division 45: Society for the Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity and Race, 2013), and the Best in Science Address (APA Division 17: Society for Counseling Psychology, 2014).

Stephen R. Wester, PhD, earned his bachelor of arts degree from the University of Toledo in Toledo, Ohio, USA (1992), his master's degree in clinical psychology from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio (1994), and his doctoral degree in counseling psychology from the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida (2000). Having completed his professional internship at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's student counseling center, Dr. Wester joined the faculty of the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee where he is currently a professor in and Training Director of the APA-accredited training program in counseling psychology while also holding a license as a psychologist in the State of Wisconsin.

Dr. Wester has been awarded the title Researcher of the Year (2006) by APA Division 51 (Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinity), and he was recently named Fellow for that same division as well as APA Division 17 (Counseling Psychology).

Dr. Wester has authored or co-authored more than 40 peer-reviewed publications, and co-authored (with Drs. Vacha-Haase and Christianson) the text Psychotherapy With Older Men (Routledge).

Dr. Wester's expertise includes psychotherapy with men, masculinity issues, and the impact of male socialization on men's interpersonal functioning in a variety of contexts. Dr. Wester is currently working to understand the intersection of culture and masculinity, as well as the impact of traditional male ideology on men's likelihood of seeking counseling services. Dr. Wester also researches gender differences in emotionality, the degree to which counselors reinforce stereotyped gender behaviors, and the ethical and professional issues involved in the training of counseling psychologists.

Dr. Wester teaches at both the MS and PhD levels in the areas of counseling theories, psychometric assessment, theories of personality, abnormal psychology, and the psychology of men.

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