Males Raised by Emotionally Absent Mothers: All Nature No Nurture

Abstract

The focus of this research pertains to males who were raised by emotionally absent mothers and their perception of women during adulthood. This aspect of research has been omitted from the school of sociology. However, existing research on children from single parent families has focused on children raised in absent father families and the predicted emotional and psychological developmental outcomes of children, yet there has not been a study that has analyzed the children of these families as adults. This paper analyzes a sample of participants obtained from the National Longitudinal Study of Youth 79 (NLSY79) Child/ Young Adults (1986-2006) Survey (United States Department of Labor [U.S. DOL], 2008). Specifically this paper looks at two subsample variables, the Family Attitude Scale (2002) and the Home Emotional Support Scale (1986). Using a linear regressions test, this study indicated that being raised by an emotionally absent mother has implications on adult males’ perception of women. Findings show greater emotional support being associated with more egalitarian views of women in society and conclude that males’ perception of their childhood relationship with their mothers affects their relationships with women in adulthood.