Boy Meets War: A Critical and Creative Analysis of Civilian Masculinities in Britain During the Second World War

During the Second World War, the hegemonic masculinity, that is, the dominant masculinity, resided with the Royal Air Force (RAF). Pilots epitomized what it meant to be a man in war due to their heroics in the Battle of Britain. Civilian masculinities therefore had to negotiate their identities to fit their new roles in society. The two types of civilian men that I mainly look at are men in the reserved occupations and conscientious objectors. I examine this question: how did cultural representations portrayed by the government affect the civilian men on the homefront? Furthermore, I explore how these men viewed the government’s policies. Finally, I investigate post-war depictions of civilian masculinity. To answer these inquires, I analyzed propaganda posters, films, interviews, and tv shows. In my research, I found that the government policies forced men to accept their subordinate masculine identity during the war. Civilian men, even in their support roles, still found ways to create a sense of normalcy, and built positive relationships with one another on the homefront. Post-war representations also have a better understanding of civilian men during the Second World War

Testosterone Fluctuations in Young Men: The Difference Between Interacting With Like and Not-Like Others

The current study investigated young men\u27s testosterone level changes as a result of interacting with other men. Male participants (n = 84) were led to believe that a group they would be interacting with was either similar to them or not similar. The interaction was then one of two types: the other group members were inclusive, or the others excluded the participant during the group interaction. Participants provided saliva samples before and after the interaction. Results suggest that interacting with highly similar men increases circulating testosterone whereas interacting with highly dissimilar men actually lowers testosterone. The nature of the interaction was less important than similarity. Considering that testosterone surges may relate to attempts to gain status within one\u27s group, the results are interpreted as consistent with viewing hormonal changes as a mechanism to alter current behavioral propensities in ways that are likely to be most adaptive. Exploratory analyses suggest a methodologically interesting suppressor effect of the self-report items in predicting testosterone changes

Social Desirability and the Celebrity Attitude Scale

The possibility of social desirability bias has often been neglected in the construction and evaluation of attitudinal scales and personality inventories in psychology and related disciplines. The present study aimed to explore the potential influence of such biases on respondents’ self-reported celebrity worship. Specifically, we had a student sample (n = 187) complete a) measures of two different forms of social desirability bias (externally-oriented “Impression management” vs. internally-oriented “self-deceptive positivity”) and b) the Celebrity Attitude Scale (CAS). Results showed that neither measure correlated significantly with the CAS. Furthermore, neither gender nor delivery mode (online vs. paper-and-pencil) mediated the non-significant relationships. Our results add to the confidence researchers might have in using this tool to measure attitudes toward one’s favorite celebrity. Other results are generally consistent with previous studies using the CAS

Using the DELPHI Method to Collect Feedback on Student\u27s Perceptions of Teaching Quality

In educational institutions, teaching effectiveness is a highly valued asset among administrators, professors, and students alike. Information gathered from students is often used as a basis for promotion and tenure decisions (Abrami & d’Apollonia, 1999; Waters, Kemp, & Pucci, 1988), and, ideally, formative purposes. However, students do not always believe that their evaluations carry much weight (Chen & Hoshower, 2003; Spencer & Schmelkin, 2002). This is likely due to the fact that summarized results from student evaluations often do not get in the hands of professors until after that particular course has concluded and, therefore, the feedback does not directly benefit the students who provided it. The goal of the current paper is to introduce a method that can be used by instructors to evaluate the effectiveness of their teaching in a particular course in such a way as to implement change in the course if necessary for those very same students. First, we will discuss teaching effectiveness in general; second we will introduce the DELPHI method and its usefulness in evaluating effective teaching; and third we will report on the results of using this method in our courses with the goal of improving the learning experience for the students providing the feedback

“It Was Only Harmless Banter!” The development and preliminary validation of the moral disengagement in sexual harassment scale.

Sexual harassment represents aggressive behavior that is often enacted instrumentally, in response to a threatened sense of masculinity and male identity. To date, however, theoretical attention to the social cognitive processes that regulate workplace harassment is scant. This article presents the development and preliminary validation of the Moral Disengagement in Sexual Harassment Scale (MDiSH); a self-report measure of moral disengagement in the context of hostile work environment harassment. Three studies (total N = 797) document the excellent psychometric properties of this new scale. Male U.K. university students (Study 1: N = 322) and U.S. working males (Studies 2 and 3: N = 475) completed the MDiSH and an array of measures for construct validation. The MDiSH exhibited positive correlations with sexual harassment myth acceptance, male gender identification, and hostile sexism. In Study 3, participants were exposed to a fictitious case of hostile work environment harassment. The MDiSH attenuated moral judgment, negative emotions (guilt, shame, and anger), sympathy, and endorsement of prosocial behavioral intentions (support for restitution) associated with the harassment case. Conversely, the MDiSH increased positive affect (happiness) about the harassment and attribution of blame to the female complainant. Implications for practice and future research avenues are discussed

Antecedents and Outcomes of Managing Diversity in a UK Context: Test of a Mediation Model

Extant research on diversity management has primarily examined the main effects of diversity management practices on outcomes from an organizational perspective. Meta-analysis in this field corroborates the conclusion that this approach is unable to account for the outcomes of diversity management effectively. The current study extends the literature by examining organizational antecedents of diversity management practices (DMP). This study also examines the mediating influences of perception of overall justice (POJ) and social exchange with organization (SEWO) on the relationships between DMP and work outcomes of career satisfaction and turnover intention. Results of data obtained from a cross section of 191 minority employees in UK revealed: (i) the reasons why organisations adopted and implemented DMP influenced employees’ outcomes of turnover intention and career satisfaction; (ii) the relationship between diversity management and social exchange with organization is mediated by perception of overall justice; (iii) social exchange with organization relates to increased career satisfaction; and (iv) DMP related positively to career satisfaction through perception of overall justice and SEWO

An Examination of Unhealthy Eating Behaviors in Two College Samples

Eating disorders pose major health risks to today\u27s college age woman. The American Psychological Association estimates that one to three percent of the population suffers from bulimia nervosa and .5 percent suffers from anorexia nervosa (American Psychological Association, 2000). Women contribute to at least ninety percent of all cases of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa (AP A, 2000). Characteristics of a person with eating disorder pathology include upper class social standing. This has led some people to assume that college women are prime candidates for these disorders. To effectively deal with the problem of eating disorders among college women, it is essential to look at social environments that may promote eating disordered behaviors in college. Many studies focus on the psychological aspects of eating disorders, but fewer focus on social groups in developing or maintaining an eating disorder. The goal of this study is to determine whether sororities, obvious social groups, have higher prevalence rates of eating disorders than does a group of college women not associated with such a clearly defined social group. The purpose of this study is to add to current research regarding sororities and eating disorders, as there is so little presently