Thesis Advisor
Issues associated with hegemonic masculinity are ever-present within Australian society and are reflected in a range of troubling statistics, made visible through the Australian Government’s National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children 2022-2032. Indicators of unhealthy masculinity drive calls to improve gender equality as many men face complexity in managing relationships, behaviour, wellbeing, and their impact on others. Early adolescence (10-14 years) is a critical time for development. This represents an opportunity to deliver education programs aimed at disrupting traditional toxic, “Man box” (Kivel, 1998; Porter, 2010) perspectives about masculinity. Education programs with explicit focus on gender are seen as effective in disrupting normative beliefs.
Connell’s hierarchies of masculinities (1987) provide conceptual tools to examine developing masculinities within adolescence. Theoretical insights emphasise hierarchical relationships between expressions of masculinity and the complex interactions and outcomes for adolescent boys and men. Examining gender socialisation within structural, social interactional and individual experiences (John et al., 2017) provide further opportunity through which to interpret adolescent perspectives.
This research examined adolescent boys’ perceptions of masculinity following one year of a character education program delivered within an all-boys private school. A Year 9 cohort (n = 117) was surveyed using the Adolescent Masculinity Ideology in Relationships Scale (AMIRS). Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with eight staff involved in teaching and mentoring the Year 9 cohort.
Analysis of quantitative data reflects perspectives previously reported in the literature. After one year of participation in the character education program, project participants responded similarly to participants within studies conducted overseas. Analysis of qualitative data further expanded insights into program delivery and highlighted perspectives about masculinity that evolve across adolescence. These insights emphasise the need for ongoing research to enhance understandings of the efficacy of character education programs delivered throughout adolescence within the contemporary Australian context.