The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 38, No. 2 & Volume 39, No. 1 - 202

David A. Scott • Wade G. Livingston • Pamela A. Havice • Tony W. Cawthon

(2002) reports that men do “not think about themselves in terms of their gender” (p. 517). individuals may explore many options concerning their identity, and they make decisions that affect their eventual adult identity (marcia, 1966). identity development encompasses the exploration of and decisions about multiple personal core values and traits. some of the issues explored during this journey include vocational direction, religion, sexual identity, and racial/ ethnic identity. gender is also a central part of how individuals create their overall identity. Young men struggle with issues related to men’s privilege and their oppression of others, and this is seen in the residence hall, the workplace, and the home. these struggles with men’s privilege and the drive to succeed at all costs can sometimes be exhibited as negative behaviors (verbalizations, attitudes, and/or physical contact) toward women and men who are not similar to them. Whether these maladaptive behaviors come in the form of overt racism, sexism, and oppression or subtle micro-aggressions (sue et al., 2007), they all are critical problems for housing professionals. these problems provide opportunities for housing professionals to work with male students to develop more appropriate worldviews and to understand the importance of accepting and respecting others from diverse backgrounds. Fortunately, understanding and embracing diversity on campus has become a learning outcome for most higher education programs, and allen (2005) urges that improving diversity on campus should be one of the top priorities for defining academic excellence. this article explores men’s identity development, its applicability to college men, and the implications for housing and residence life.
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Too many times, “manhood” is predicated on men being powerful and especially having power over women . This attitude does not end when a man enrolls in college .

MEN’S IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT
identity development begins at birth. From the very beginning, many children are provided with stereotypical toys and learn family customs and traditions that create a person’s overall identity. From a young age, boys are encouraged to be strong, self-reliant, and assertive and to restrict most emotions because they are considered unmanly and weak (good, dell, & mintz, 1989). davis (2002) reports that male students worry about appearing feminine if they talk too much about their thoughts and feelings with other male students. too many times, “manhood” is predicated on men being powerful and especially having power over women. this attitude does not end when a man enrolls in college. entrenched individualism and restrictive emotional behavior can also be contributing factors to oppression, bias, and thwarted identity development in men. When men fail to live up to the prescribed expectations, many begin to develop internal strife, which can manifest itself in the oppression of women and dissimilar men. the terms similar and dissimilar men will be used to describe the various in-groups and out-groups of men. similar men are those who could possess the same values, same race, same sexual orientation, or same reli-

The Journal of College and universiTy sTudenT housing

The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 38, No. 2 & Volume 39, No. 1

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 38, No. 2 & Volume 39, No. 1