“MASCULINITY”* : GENDER IDENTITY, STEREOTYPES AND THEIR SOCIOCULTURAL CONSTRUCTION

Abstract

The term “masculinity” is presented here, as an alternative to the more commonly used terms masculinity or virility as a proposal for reflection and for symmetry as regards the sexual roles in the current relationships between men and women. On the other hand, more recent studies confirm, providing the relative experimental data, the deep and structural importance of environmental conditions in the construction of gender identity. The new concept of psychological androgyny and the research carried out on the importance of family dynamics in the formation of gender identity and the relative stereotypes strongly reaffirms the early intuitions of Adler and its extremely actuality today