Administration

Communications

C-SC professor presents research at gender conference
Thursday, May 05, 2011

CANTON, Mo. -- Culver-Stockton College Assistant Professor of Psychology Dr. Jill Compton presented at the 7th annual Gender Conference held at the College of Lake County April 14 and 15.

Dr. Compton’s presentation, entitled “Cure or Care: Men’s Conflicting Desires in the Physician-Patient Relationship,” explored men’s seemingly contradictory wishes for a physician who both provides a quick cure and a caring environment in which to share and gather health information. The focus of the presentation was on research she had conducted with her colleagues, Dr. Kim Reed of Emory and Henry College, Va., and Mr. Patrick Carmody of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. The results of this research, which involved interviewing men of varying ages about their experiences with and expectations of going to the doctor, were viewed in the context of mainstream definitions of masculinity. Dr. Compton noted, “It has been suggested that men are currently not socialized to be caretakers, of themselves or others. After all, we see product advertisements referring to ‘Dr. Mom’ but never to ‘Dr. Dad.’ It could be that more men would be willing to spend more time going to the doctor, more time asking their doctors questions, etc., but that is not what we have currently deemed as appropriate for the masculine gender role.”

The CLC Gender Conference is sponsored by the Women’s Center of the College of Lake County in Grayslake, Ill. This year’s theme was “What It Takes to be a Man: Understanding Masculinities in the 21st Century.”