Masculinity Ideology and Subjective Well-Being in a Sample of Polish Men and Women

Abstract

Masculinity ideology is defined as a blend of cultural beliefs, types of behavior, and roles generally associated with men and boys. Previous studies have showed mixed effects of adherence to masculine ideology on men's subjective well-being, indicating negative but also positive relationships. The present study focuses on agency, that is the core of stereotypic masculinity (Abele & Wojciszke, 2007), and its relationship to subjective well-being by analyzing data from a representative Polish sample of the European Social Survey (ESS). Participants were 1751 adults, aged 17 years and older (of whom 771 were men). A structural equation model was applied. The results demonstrated that agentic values (specifically valuing power and achievement) were good predictors of male and female subjective well-being. That is, the less men and women valued their own power and achievements, the lower their subjective well-being was. As expected, this association was stronger for men. Additionally, regardless of gender, we demonstrated that age was a negative predictor and that number of years of education a positive predictor of subjective well-being. This association was stronger for men.