Masculinity, spirituality, and sexuality: The interpreted, lived experience of the traditional age college male

This qualitative-grounded-theory study examined the interpreted, lived experience of masculinity, spirituality, and sexuality of traditional age (18-22year-old) college males, and the ways they may be interrelated. Possible connection or disconnection between spirituality and sexuality was considered. Data were gathered at two small private men's colleges in the Midwest---one with Catholic affiliation, the other without religious affiliation. Face-to-face, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 traditional age college men: 17 Catholic, 1 atheist, 1 Methodist, 1 unaffiliated Christian. Findings indicated aspects of hegemonic masculinity in the ways participants described their masculinity and the way they perceived the masculinity of their peers. Winning, being in control, power, physical strength, and sexual prowess were all parts of the way participants constructed their masculinity. Men in this study evaluated their own masculinity in relation to that of their peers; the more masculine they perceived other men to be, the less masculine they felt. Participants, while aware of elements of hegemony in their construction of masculinity, also felt that they "did" masculinity differently than their peers. Most frequently this was expressed as a feeling of being masculine when able to have deep personal conversations with other close male friends. All of the men in this study identified themselves as heterosexual and described sexuality in terms of genital sexual acts but also included nongenital aspects in their understanding and experience of sexuality, such as intimacy, vulnerability, personal growth, and nongenital physical acts. Participants in this study expressed their spirituality in traditional ways, such as prayer, attending church services, and helping others. Of the 20 men in this study, 19 reported that spirituality influenced their decisions about sexual activity and believed that integrating spirituality and sexuality would be beneficial and desired such integration. Half of the participants who were sexually active reported experiencing such a spiritual/sexual connection which they interpreted as very positive.