MALE REFERENCE GROUP IDENTITY DEPENDENCE - A THEORY OF MALE IDENTITY

This article presents a theory of male identity developed to address t he question of why men vary in their masculinity ideology and in their conformity to standards of masculinity. The theory, male reference gr oup identity dependence, is based on two other theories-reference grou p theory and ego identity development theory. Reference group identity dependence is defined as the extent to which males are dependent on a reference group for their gender role self-concept. An overview of re levant masculinity research, theoretical foundations for the construct of reference group identity dependence, theoretical postulates, and a ssociated behavioral and psychological characteristics are presented. Research implications of the theory are discussed and future research directions are provided.