THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MASCULINITY AND RACE ON COPING BEHAVIORS AMONG BLACK MEN AT A HISTORICALLY WHITE INSTITUTION

Abstract

Black men in the United States have the lowest life expectancy at birth compared to other racial/ethnic groups. Studies have investigated race-related stress and the ensuing coping strategies to explore men’s health behaviors. Few studies have examined the role masculine ideology influences coping behaviors among this population. This study sought to a) develop a Brief Masculinity Inventory Scale (Brief MIS) and use it to explore influences on coping behaviors and b) examine how Black men at a Historically White Institution (HWI) cope with stress. A cross-sectional online survey was distributed to Black males who identified as students, faculty, staff, and alumni from an HWI in the southwestern region of the United States. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted to explore the validity of the items in the Brief MIS. Additionally, a Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to explore the relationship between masculinity and coping behaviors. Survey results (N= 78) showed that Black men in this sample most identified with mainstream society and black masculinity. Results also showed that the type of masculinity identified determined whether a positive or negative relationship existed with the type of coping behavior used. Lastly, there were differences in the degree to which participants identified with a particular masculinity identification and their sexual orientation. This study increases understanding of how masculinity influences stress coping. Implications are discussed.