Correlation between the levels of education and conformity to traditional masculine norms

Abstract Title: Correlation between the levels of education and conformity to traditional masculine norms Authors: Larsson, M., & Ljungqvist, D. (2008) Objective: This study is an attempt to explain correlations between the levels of education and conformity to traditional masculine norms. It is mainly based on the social construction of gender. Background: A high level of education is associated with a healthy living, and a high conformity to traditional masculine norms associated with harmful health behaviours. The background also presents different views of masculinity, the construction of gender and the construction of norms. It also reflects about the recruitment to higher education. Methods: A questionnaire with three diffrent variables: level of education, number of years working after last graduation and a total score of the 22-item Conformity to Masculine Norms Inventory, CMNI, which measures eleven different norms. 51 questionnaires from one particular arena were filled in for this study. The participants were all male and could be divided into three groups, by level of education. Results: The findings indicate that the average CMNI-score tends to decline with a higher level of education. It also indicates that, even if there is a difference in the average CMNI-score between the groups, it tends to correlate over time. Discussion: The present study proposes in the discussion that the social background is linked with the level of education, and goes on with theories of the creation of norms early in life. Furthermore, it focuses on the social environment of the workplace and its influence on the men working there