Pew Research Center Examines America’s Changing Viewpoints on Masculinity and Gender Roles

A new survey from Pew Research Center has evaluated the opinions of masculinity and gender roles among adults in the United States. The report reveals differences in viewpoints between Republicans and Democrats, men and women, and adults in different age groups.

According to the survey, 42 percent of men see themselves as “highly masculine,” compared to 35 percent of women who see themselves as “highly feminine.” Republican men were significantly more likely than Democratic men to rate themselves as highly masculine, at 53 percent and 29 percent of respondents, respectively. In comparison, there was a modest difference in how Eepublican and Democratic women see themselves, with 38 percent and 32 percent, respectively, viewing themselves as highly feminine. Both men and women under the age of 30 were less likely than their older counterparts to view themselves as highly associated with their gender’s traditional stereotypes.

Roughly two-thirds of men reported their father significantly influenced their understanding of what it is to be a man. The same share of women said their mother significantly influenced their viewpoints of womanhood. Men were significantly more likely to say their mother influenced their viewpoints about men than women were to say their father influenced their understanding of what it is to be a woman. Women were also more likely than men to believe social media had a significant influence on their views about their own gender.

While the vast majority of respondents believe men and women are different in many ways, Republicans were more likely to believe these differences were because of biological reasons, whereas Democrats were more likely to point to societal expectations as the main reason for gender differences. Over two thirds of Democrats believe men and women are good at similar things in the workplace, compared to less than half of Republicans.

The majority of all respondents believe changing gender roles and the increase of women working outside of the home are important for women’s success at work and their personal lives. However, only 36 percent of respondents believe changes in traditional gender roles would result in more successful careers for men. Less than half of respondents believe changing gender roles would lead to more satisfying lives for men.