from Theological Issues

Authors Dubravko Jurkovic and Gordon A. Walker conducted a series of surveys to nearly 150 men to determine their levels of gender role conflicts and levels of religious well-being and commitment.

The researchers sought to discover answers to three hypotheses: 1. Non-religious men would exhibit higher levels of masculine gender-role conflict and stress than religious men; 2. Masculine gender role conflict and stress factors would be related to less intrinsic religiousness for men; 3. Masculine gender role conflict and stress factors would be related to less spiritual well-being.

The participants took several self-reporting questionnaires: The Gender Role Conflict Scale; the Masculine Gender Role Stress Scale; the Age Universal Intrinsic-Extrinsic Religious Orientation Scale and the Spiritual Well-Being Scale.

The Standing Committee on Ethics in Research Involving Humans at Monash University approved the research study.

According to the authors: "Support was found for the hypothesis that non-religious men would exhibit higher levels of masculine gender-role conflict and stress than religious men. Support was also found for the prediction that masculine gender-role conflict and stress factors could be related to less intrinsic religiousness for men. Results also indicated that masculine gender-role conflict and stress factors were related to less spiritual well-being for both religious and non-religious men."

Jurkovic and Walker note: "Religion appears to be one important way to have a sense of well-being. The notion that religion provides a framework that gives meaning and purpose to life, providing a sense of well-being, has been supported by several empirical investigations. ... Although religion may be only one of many ways in which meaning is assessed, Ellison (1991) found that a strong faith allows people to hold onto happiness after unemployment, serious illness, divorce, or bereavement."

They continue: "Gauging a client's spiritual awareness, at the very least, should form an important part of a thorough client history. One cannot really be said to know another person without an understanding of his or her responses to the most important questions that human beings ask themselves (Hassed, 2000). A psychology that fails to recognize that religiousness and spirituality (in the context of life meaning) are very important aspects of human existence risks losing its human relevance and becoming a somewhat emotionally bankrupt discipline. In general, all those who are attempting to deal with men's health issues should give more attention to a spiritual dimension in men's lives."

Updated: 8 February 2008

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