journal_vol49no2 - 44

Before [COVID-19], I thought it was good to be independent and break all these social
norms and it looked and maybe felt masculine to do that. Now, breaking social norms
isn't the main goal. There's no enhanced benefit to going around the system. I think some
men realized there's a logic to social conventions that we have, even if you don't fully
understand them.
Jesus, a Latino third-year student, noted that he learned some lessons about vulnerability:
" I learned that asking for help is okay, and I like to think my friends feel that
way now, too. " In a similar vein, Doug, a White third-year student, perceived the pandemic
as " a springboard to talk about feelings; to let your guard down in lots of ways. "
Ty, a White second-year student, responded similarly. " Men like to give this aura of not
caring, but I feel like this has taught us that it's okay to care. " Isaak, a Black third-year
student, said, " The line between masculinity and humanity has blurred during [the
pandemic]. That's probably a good thing for all of us. "
Participants acknowledged that the behavior associated with masculinity might
be shifting away from traditional stereotypes in the residence halls, a place they often
associated with rules and regulations. Frank, a Black second-year student, said,
People view males as rowdy, and that they break rules [in residence halls]-and that's
honestly fair. All of this made me realize that how men act was not cool, and you don't
have to do that to be a man. I feel like some guys matured in their perspective on
manhood and got a little broader world view . . . but at the end of the day, some part of
them will always still act like guys.
The residence halls were a location specifically labeled as a place where connections
were formed, and the evolving notions of how men should act created a renewed
sense of appreciation for the social nature of the residential environment. As Garrett,
a White second-year student, explained, the pandemic " has helped me see that masculinity
is a façade we use when we think it will help us. I care about people more
now, and I'm way more grateful for connections [in my hall]. " Evan, a White third-year
student, said,
Dudes are always going to be dudes. Seriously. The " boys will be boys " stuff is so true.
But maybe some men feel like they can see some other side of themselves now and they'll
behave a little different than men used to.
Sam, a White third-year student, also expressed a sense of optimism. " I am kind of
loving this rediscovery of manhood. Self-care is a thing. Code switching doesn't have to
happen the way it did just because of who I hang around with. I can be . . . me. "
The men in this study expressed their perception that aspects of traditional masculinity
were present on campus and that there was a resurgence in the prevalence
of stereotypically masculine behavior as life on campus shifted away from strict pandemic
protocols and back to what the men considered to be a typical college experience.
That said, they also articulated a perceived change in how men thought about
Volume 49, No. 2 * 2023 41

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