MASCULINITY, PARTISANSHIP, AND RESPONSES TO COVID-19 IN THE U.S.

The relationship between U.S. men’s gender identity and their behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic is complicated by their political views. Masculinity is a multi-dimensional concept, and displays of masculinity can therefore push men toward behaviors that would be adaptive or maladaptive during the pandemic, depending on men’s predispositions and the local context. We show that early on in the pandemic, vaccination decisions were driven more by gender identity among U.S. men, with political considerations becoming more important as the pandemic wore on. While both gender identity and partisanship were important in structuring men’s responses to the pandemic, their true effects are best understood as an interaction.