CONCEPTS OF MASCULINITY AMONG FEDERAL PRISON INMATES

• NCJ Number: 66860
• Author(s): D W STOCKBURGER; B SIFFORD
• Date Published: Unknown
• Length: 19 pages
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE TESTING OF 59 INMATES AT THE MEDICAL CENTER FOR FEDERAL PRISONERS, SPRINGFIELD, MO., REVEALED THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE ANY GREATER OR LESS DIFFICULTY WITH THE MALE SEX ROLE THAN MEN IN THE GENERAL POPULATION.

Abstract

THE ORIGINAL HYPOTHESIS WAS THAT CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR COULD BE LINKED TO DIFFICULTIES WITH THE MALE SEX ROLE. IN ADDITION, INMATES WERE EXPECTED TO HAVE EXTREME STEREOTYPED CONCEPTS AS TO THE IDEAL SEX ROLE OF EACH SEX, AND THEIR ATTITUDES TOWARD SEX-ROLES AND SENSATION SEEKING WERE SUPPOSEDLY RELATED TO THE ABSENCE OF ONE OR BOTH PARENTS DURING CHILDHOOD OR ADOLESCENCE. THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE IDEAL MAN AND THE SELF IMAGE OF INMATES WERE EXPECTED TO BE GREATER THAN THOSE OF COLLEGE STUDENTS. THE BEM SEX ROLE INVENTORY, THE SENSATION SEEKING SCALE, THE MINNESOTA MULTIPHASIC PERSONALITY INVENTORY, THE SIXTEEN PERSONALITY FACTOR QUESTIONNAIRE AND A GENERAL INFORMATION SURVEY (GIS) WERE ADMINISTERED TO ALL 59 INMATES. THE RESULTS ARE BASED ON COMPARISON OF THE BEM SEX-ROLE INVENTORIES TAKEN BY INMATES WITH THOSE OF TWO OTHER STUDIES SAMPLING COLLEGE STUDENTS AND POLICE OFFICERS. THE RESULTS OF THE GIS WERE COMPARED WITH THE RESULTS OF A NATIONWIDE MAIL SURVEY. THE CONCLUSIONS DO NOT SUPPORT THE ORIGINAL HYPOTHESES. THE INMATES OF A FEDERAL PRISON DO NOT HOLD EXTREME CONCEPTS OF MASCULINE OR FEMININE ROLES IN SOCIETY. THEIR SELF-CONCEPT IS SIMILAR TO THAT HELD BY COLLEGE STUDENTS, NEITHER OVERLY MASCULINE NOR FEMININE, AND NOT AFFECTED BY THE PRESENCE OR ABSENCE OF EITHER OR BOTH PARENTS DURING ANY PERIOD OF CHILDHOOD OR ADOLESCENCE. ALTHOUGH THE DEMOGRAPHIC BACKGROUNDS OF THE INMATES AND OF THOSE RESPONDING TO THE INMATES AND OF THOSE RESPONDING TO THE GIS DIFFERED, THE INMATES WERE FOUND TO HAVE ATTITUDES, BELIEFS AND BEHAVIORS SIMILAR TO THE POPULATION AT LARGE. CONSIDERATION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO THE FACT THAT THE FEDERAL PRISONER IS THE ELITE OF THE PRISON SYSTEM IN APPLYING THESE RESULTS GENERALLY. TWELVE REFERENCES AND SIX TABLES ARE INCLUDED. (TAG)