Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on November 14, 2012
A new sociological study reviews how men think of the term ?metrosexual? and if the label has run its course.
Dr. Erynn Masi de Casanova, an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Cincinnati, says the label was originally coined by British journalist Mark Simpson to describe a single, young (usually heterosexual) man with a high disposable income, who worked in the city.
Casanova?s research, based on interviews with men in three major metropolitan cities, found that men in general were taking more interest in a well-groomed appearance and that they felt the term, ?metrosexual,? was a stereotype that had run its course.
Some men who were interviewed indicated that they preferred dressing up and looking sharp ? especially on weekends ? even though many American businesses now promote workplace casual dress codes. This was prominently reported in New York City.
Casanova interviewed 22 men in which the word ?metrosexual? came up in the conversation. The men were white-collar workers in three major U.S. cities: New York, San Francisco and Cincinnati.
?I was really interested in finding out how individual men think about social categories, such as metrosexual,? Casanova said. ?It?s a word that?s out there, but do men really think about it ? does it mean anything to them??
It turns out that the term has an ambiguous connotation.
?I found out that people had contradictory opinions about what being metrosexual was. Sometimes one person would reveal both negative and positive connotations about the word,? said Casanova.
She said the majority of the men referred to the aesthetic aspect of the stereotype ? men who were well-dressed and well-groomed.
The men also said that the term was being used less and less ? that it was likely a buzz-word that was fizzling out, or that now it has just become a label as more men pay more attention to their appearance.
?One of the interviewees said it?s just a new word for who used to be called a ?pretty boy,?? Casanova says.
Casanova?s interviews discovered that the metrosexual moniker appeared to be a vehicle for heterosexual men to enjoy fashion without being stereotyped as gay ? although others considered the term a more polite way of calling someone gay.
Some men, Casanova said, saw the interest in fashion as a possible way to bridge gaps between gay and straight men. Some of the heterosexual men interviewed admitted taking fashion advice from gay men.
?As many men confirmed, this bridge seems to be a relatively new ? and still somewhat tenuous ? development,? Casanova says.
Although the sample size was small, the study participants represented a variety of ethnic, social demographic and vocational pursuits.
Of the 22 men interviewed, half were from New York, 41 percent were from Cincinnati and nine percent were from San Francisco. The majority of the interviewees identified as white; three identified as African-American; one as Indian and one as ?Afro-Caribbean.?
The men held a variety of positions in the corporate world, from sales/marketing to finance, recruitment and architecture/design. The average age of the men interviewed was 36. The youngest was 24 and the oldest was 58.
Casanova says the research is part of a larger study that will investigate anthropological trends within U.S. society.
Source: University of Cincinnati
Attractive young man photo by shutterstock.
APA Reference
Nauert PhD, R. (2012). Where Have All The Metrosexuals Gone?. Psych Central. Retrieved on November 15, 2012, from http://psychcentral.com/news/2012/11/14/where-have-all-the-metrosexuals-gone/47646.html
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Source: http://psychcentral.com/news/2012/11/14/where-have-all-the-metrosexuals-gone/47646.html
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