Abstract
From the time I (Chris Blazina) began my career as a psychologist, I knew it would be difficult to reach the men I sought to help. As a general rule, males in North America have very negative attitudes about seeking support. I might even go so far as to say the same men struggle with a “crisis of connection,” which equates to a number of challenges, such as the difficulty in making and sustaining connections with others. It also involves mistaking self-reliance for total self-sufficiency and pressure to keep vulnerability firmly in check. A significant percentage of American men endorse some form of these traditional male norms or at least have familiarity with them. One troubling aspect of this prevalence is many men believe they are just fulfilling the requirements of mature masculinity.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Addis, M. E., & Cohane, G. H. (2005). Social scientific paradigms of masculinity and their implications for research and practice in men’s mental health. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 61, 633–647.
Barbee, A. P., Cunningham, M. R., Winstead, B. A., Derlega, V. J., Gulley, M. R., Yankeelov, P. A., et al. (1993). Effects of gender role expectations on the social support process. Journal of Social Issues, 49(3), 175–190.
Beck, A. M., & Katcher, A. H. (1996). Between pets and people: The importance of animal companionship. Purdue University Press.
Blazina, C. (2001). Analytic psychology and gender role conflict: The development of the fragile masculine self. Psychotherapy, 38, 50–59.
Blazina, C. (2011). Life After Loss: Psychodynamic Perspectives on a Continuing Bonds Approach with Pet Companions. In C. Blazina, C.,D. Shen-Miller, & G. Boyraz, G. (Eds.)., The Psychology of the Human-Animal Bond: A Guide for Clinicians’ and Researchers. New York: Springer.
Blazina, C., Boyraz, G., & Shen-Miller, D. S. (2011). The psychology of the human–animal bond. New York, NY: Springer.
Blazina, C., & Miller, D.S. (Eds.). (2010). An international psychology of men: Theoretical advances, clinical conceptualizations, adn cases studies. New York: Routledge.
Bowlby, J. (1969/1982). Attachment: Attachment and loss (Vol. 1). New York: Basic Books.
Brown, K. (2006). Pastoral concern in relation to the psychological stress caused by the death of an animal companion. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 9(5), 411–422.
Brown, S. E. (2004). The human-animal bond and self-psychology: Toward a new understanding. Society & Animals, 12(1), 67–86.
Brown, S. E. (2007). Companion animals as self-objects. Anthrozoos, 20(4), 329–343.
Cain, A. O. (1983). A study of pets in the family system. In H. Katcher & A. M. Beck (Eds.), New perspectives on our lives with companion animals (pp. 72–81). Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press.
Doka, K., & Martin, T. (2010). Grieving beyond gender: Understanding the ways men and women mourn. New York: Routledge. Revised.
Enns, C. Z. (2008). Toward a complexity paradigm for understanding gender role conflict. The Counseling Psychologist, 36, 446–454.
Falmagne, R. J. (2000). Positionality and thought: On the gendered foundations of thought, culture and development. In P. H. Miller & E. Scholnick (Eds.), Developmental psychology through the lenses of feminist theories (pp. 191–213). New York: Routledge.
Folse, E. B., Minder, C. C., Aycock, M. J., & Santana, R. T. (1994). Animal-assisted therapy and depression in adult college students. Anthrozoös, 7(3), 188–194.
Garrity, T. F., Stallones, L. F., Marx, M. B., & Johnson, T. P. (1989). Pet ownership and attachment as supportive factors in the health of the elderly.Anthrozoös, 3(1), 35–44.
Good, G. E., & Wood, P. K. (1995). Male gender role conflict, depression, and help-seeking: Do college men face double jeopardy? Journal of Counseling and Development, 74, 70–75.
Herzog, H. A. (2007). Gender differences in human-animal interactions: A review. Anthrozoös, 20(1), 7–21.
Klass, D., Silverman, P. R., & Nickman, S. (1996). Continuing bonds: New understandings of grief. New York: Taylor & Francis.
Kidd, A. H., & Kidd, R. M. (1985). Children’s attitudes toward their pets. Psychological Reports, 57, 17–31.
Klass, D., & Silverman, P. R. (1996). Introduction: What is the problem? In D. Klass, P. R. Silverman, & S. L. Nickman (Eds.), Continuing bonds: New understandings of grief. New York: Taylor & Francis.
Kurdek, L. A. (2008). Pet dogs as attachment figures. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 25(2), 247–266.
Kurdek, L. A. (2009). Pet dogs as attachment figures for adult owners. Journal of Family Psychology, 23(4), 439–446.
Liu, W. M. (2005). The study of men and masculinity as an important multicultural competency consideration. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 61(6), 685–697.
Levant, R. F. (1995). Toward the reconstruction of masculinity. In R.F. Levant, F. Ronald, & W.S. Pollack (Eds.), A new psychology of men (pp. 229–251). New York, NY: Basic Books.
Levinson, B. M. (1972). Pets and human development. Charles C Thomas, Springfield, IL.
Muschel, I.J. (1984). Pet therapy with terminal cancer patients. Social Casework: The Journal of Contemporary Social Work, 65(8), 451–458.
O’Neil, J. M., Helm, B., Gable, R., David, L., & Wrightsman, L. (1986). Gender role conflict scale (GRCS): College men’s fears of femininity. Sex Roles, 14, 335–350.
O’Neil, J. M. (2008). Summarizing 25 years of research on men’s gender role conflict using the gender role conflict scale: New research paradigms and clinical implications. The Counseling Psychologist, 36, 358–445.
O’Neil, J. M. (2013). Gender-role conflict research thirty years later: An evidenced based diagnostic schema. Journal of Counseling and Development, 91, 498–499.
O’Neil, J. M. (2015). Men’s gender role conflict: Psychological costs, consequences, and an agenda for change. Washington, DC: APA Books.
Pleck, J. (1981). The myth of masculinity. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Pollack, W. (1995). No man is an island: Toward a new psychoanalytic psychology of men. In R. Levant & W. Pollack (Eds.), A new psychology of men (pp. 33–67). New York: Basic Books.
Prato-Previde, E., Fallani, G., & Valsecenchi, P. (2006). Gender differences in owners interacting with pet dogs: An observational study. Ethology, 112 (1), 64–73.
Ramirez, M. (2006). “My dog’s just like me”: Dog ownership as a gender display. Symbolic Interaction, 29(3), 373–391.
Robin, M., & Bensel, R. T. (1985). Pets and the socialization of children. Marriage & Family Review, 8(3–4), 63–78.
Roth, B. (2005). Pets and psychoanalysis: A clinical contribution. Psychoanalytic Review, 92, 453–457.
Sharkin, B. S., & Knox, D. (2003). Pet loss: Issues and implications for the psychologist. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 34(4), 414.
Stewart, A. J., & McDermott, C. (2004). Gender psychology. Annual Review of Psychology, 55, 519–544.
Triebenbacher, S. L. (1998). Pets as transitional objects: Their role in children’s emotional development. Psychological Reports, 82(1), 191–200.
Vacha-Haase, T., Wester, S. R., & Christianson, H. (2010). Psychotherapy with older men. New York: Routledge.
Voith, V. L. (1985). Attachment of people to companion animals. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice, 15, 289–295.
Wester, S. R. (2008). Male gender role conflict and multiculturalism: Implications for counseling psychology. The Counseling Psychologist, 36, 294–324.
Zarski, J. J. (1984). Hassles and health: a replication. Health Psychology, 3(3), 243.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Blazina, C., Kogan, L. (2016). An Introduction to Men and Their Dogs: A New Understanding of “Man’s Best Friend”. In: Blazina, C., Kogan, L. (eds) Men and Their Dogs. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-30097-9_1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-30097-9_1
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-30095-5
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-30097-9
eBook Packages: Behavioral Science and PsychologyBehavioral Science and Psychology (R0)