Study suggests men become insecure and lower self-esteem when girlfriend/wife is more successful
There are at least two other reasons why thinking about a partner’s success might lead to decreased implicit self-esteem for men. One is that positive self-evaluation derives in part from fulfilling roles typically ascribed to one’s gender (Josephs et al., 1992). There are strong gender stereotypes where men are typically associated with strength, competence, and intelligence; a partner’s success, especially if it is construed as an own failure, is not compatible with the stereotype and could negatively impact self-esteem. Men portray themselves as being more competent than they actually are (Paulhus & John, 1998); being reminded of a time that their partner was successful might pose a threat to their own view of themselves, thus lowering their implicit self-esteem.
http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2013/08/30/gender_differences_and_self_esteem_new_research_shows_that_men_feel_insecure.html
Full text of the study:
http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/psp-a0033769.pdf
This is something that effects both genders. The issue stems with the fact that gender role stereotypes are easing for women, but not for men. That ends up effecting women because the social pressures that are pushing men up will continue to push women down. Men are expected to be breadwinners, leaders, and providers. Therefore the social and economic environment will continue to be more favorable to a man making progress than to a woman. For example, an employer has a choice of promoting a man or a woman with equal credentials. The employer may decide to promote the man based on the stereotype that men are supposed to be more successful. That's just a very simple example of how a male gender stereotype could hurt a woman.
= new reply since forum marked as read
