Masculine Gender Role Conflict and its Psycho-Social Correlates: A Study among Homosexual Men in Ghana.

Abstract

Building on current knowledge, the primary aim of the present study was to assess psycho-social correlates of Masculine Gender Role Conflict (MGRC) among homosexual men and to posit and test a model by which the variables (psychological well-being, gay identity development and attitudes towards psychological help seeking behaviour) are related to MGRC. Guided by the Male gender role conflict theory, survey and interviews were used to collect data from 175 homosexual men. The data analysis methods used in the present study includes: descriptive statistics, pearson r correlation, regression and the Interpretative Phenomenological Analyses (IPA) to elaborate understandings on the relationships among the variables of interest. Correlation analyses revealed that high scores on MGRC were associated with positive attitude towards seeking psychological help. Also, high scores on MGRC were associated with fewer problems with anger, anxiety and depression among homosexual men. On the contrary, Africentric coping strategies could not moderate the relationship between MGRC and psychological well-being. Consequently, no mediation path was detected between gender role conflict and Gay Identity development with, sex-role preference as a mediator variable. Data derived from the qualitative analyses suggest that homosexual men in the present study experience stressors associated with MGRC. However, the results showed that collective coping in terms of sense of sexual identity was more recognizable among homosexual men. Therefore, the present study suggested a contextual model to better understand Masculine Gender Role Conflict among homosexual men in Africa.