Catholic Seminarians on “Real Men”, Sexuality, and Essential Male Inclusivity

This paper is based on an empirical study using in-depth qualitative interviews that examines how Roman Catholic undergraduate seminarians in the United States understand gender, sexuality and masculinity. The findings describe reject interactionist social constructionist models of rely a strict biological model where sex/gender are seen as unified concept. leads them to adopt “essential male inclusivity”, they argue all people assigned at birth have equal claim “manhood”, which eases pressures act gender normative ways. social-psychological identity-based motivations these beliefs examined connection their life seminary other anticipated occupational characteristics. In contrast, seminary’s mandates around both celibacy compulsory heterosexuality, make more fraught than for seminarians. larger consequences perspectives also explored regard inequality, homophobia, lack acceptance LGBTIQ+ community.