That some dudebros suffer from extremely fragile masculinity is nothing new. But just how far these guys go to uphold some fucked up image of what they think “being manly” means is still shocking at times.
New research found that one of the deterrents for not letting the planet go to shit for some men is the fear of their heterosexuality being questioned, according to the journal Sex Roles. Researchers found in a previous 2016 study that environmental consciousness fell into perceived ideas of masculinity and femininity, with eco-friendly behaviour widely perceived as feminine.
In the new study, 960 participants were asked to evaluate whether fictional characters felt “feminine” or “masculine,” based on several environmentally friendly activities such as paying bills online, turning off the air conditioner, caulking windows, recycling, or using reusable shopping bags. Participants were then made to give their impression based on a 10-point scale from heterosexual to homosexual. Kinsey is shaking!
Participants who learned that a male fictional character exhibited behaviours associated with women said that they were “uncertain of his heterosexual identity,” the researchers write. In the example of the reusable shopping bag or recycling, men across the board deemed it as “feminine.” Therefore, those “perceived as being more likely to have positive feminine than positive masculine traits” were not associated with manliness.
Professor Janet K. Swim at Pennsylvania State University who led the research determined that some men might be put off behaving in a more eco-friendly manner because of these stereotypes.
The research suggested that if being seen as heterosexual is important to them, men will opt out of gender nonconforming behaviours, with a stigma by that association. A latter part of the study showed that “men were most likely to socially distance themselves” from gender nonconforming behaviour — a social consequence to the construct of gender at large.
“People may avoid certain behaviours because they are managing the gendered impression they anticipate others will have of them,” Swim said. If we don’t implement drastic changes the earth will literally be uninhabitable by 2040 but, you know, no homo…