Demystifying Male Emotional Development: Exploring the Implications of Forced Gender Roles on Black American Males

Abstract

Statements like “ boys do not cry” and other teaching modalities of emotional blandness can negatively affect the Black American male population with lower emotional development in adulthood. The focus of this study was to understand the extent of self-described societal-forced gender roles in childhood on the emotional development of Black American adult men. A total of 35 participants were interviewed using a qualitative study to further explore these experiences. After analysis, this study determined gender roles and emotional maturity affected later development. Key themes included feeling inept, stigma, lack of understanding, and loneliness. The participants discussed how frustrating it could be to be considered less of a man by society. These frustrations can lead to increased medical issues such as cardiovascular disease and increased behavioral health issues such as substance use, anxiety, depression, and issues within intimate relationships, as women may be expecting more than they can give. Professionals can utilize the findings of the study to further develop processes to teach emotional development in Black American children and assist adult males with their journey toward emotional maturity.