2018-2019 ISSR Scholars Project Title: Scholars Project Title: Masculinity, Balance, and Compensation: A New Theory of Gender Performance  

Professor Young's theoretical work has extended theories of gender that identify "masculine overcompensation," recognizing "masculine undercompensation" as a strategy for seeking what she terms "masculine balance" -- a means of calibrating gender performance that contributes to hegemonic gender relations Young proposes to test her theoretical work with three empirical studies, one experimental and two mixed-methods. This work identifies gaps in the extant literature on masculinity and gender performance, asking questions such as: How do men “balance” their masculinity from one context to the next?  How and when can we disaggregate masculinity from maleness?  In what ways are unequal gender relations masked under a veneer of apparent progress?