Abstract: This dissertation poses the question: What shapes the relationship between heterosexual men, contemporary American culture, and emotional intimacy? In searching for these dynamics, this study finds its foundations in research and literature on masculinity, patriarchy, and gender relations within American society. Drawing primarily upon depth psychology and integrating insights from anthropology, philosophy, sociology, feminist theory, critical theory, popular culture, and classical literature, this study is anchored in Jung’s theory of complexes and the post-Jungian concept of cultural complexes. Employing hermeneutics, the research first explores the interconnection between culture, complexes, and the psyche, leading to the identification of interlocking complexes significantly impacting culture and the collective discourse, comprehension, and attitudes about manhood and masculinity. Borrowing terms from dialogical self theory (DST) and family systems theory, and adding them to cultural complex theory, this study creates an integrative conceptualization of the inner triangulations and constant repositioning within the ever-changing landscape of the individual and collective psyches. The result is a revisioning of cultural complex theory that describes an ouroboric cycle of circular causality within culture, supporting the homeostatic endurance of what this researcher has named the masculinity complex. The masculinity complex is the metaphorical flagbearer of interlocking cultural complexes whose constellations impact culture’s relationship to masculinity and much more. This study concludes by turning its attention toward heterosexual men and intimacy in American culture, postulating that the masculinity complex fundamentally shapes the relationships between men, culture, and emotional intimacy.

Open Access and Academic Integrity - An Invitation: The decision to make my dissertation open access stems from a deep belief in the democratization of knowledge and the power of shared intellectual discourse. As a scholar who has benefited immensely from others' work, I believe in paying it forward. However, this openness comes with a responsibility - both mine and yours. Throughout my research, I've taken great care to acknowledge every source that shaped my understanding, including secondary citations that led me to discover crucial primary works. I even credit the scholars whose interpretations guided me toward important sources they cited.

By making this work freely available, I'm not just sharing research findings - I'm inviting you into an ongoing academic conversation. If any ideas, concepts, or insights from this work influence your thinking or writing, I ask that you honor the academic tradition of citation. This is not just about recognition; it's about maintaining the integrity of scholarly discourse and allowing others to trace the evolution of ideas. All necessary citations are provided below, making it straightforward to properly credit this work in your own.

Open Access Link to The Masculinity Complex: https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/masculinity-complex-heterosexual-men-american/docview/3198976383/se-2

AMA Citation:

Edwards, B. S. (2025). The Masculinity Complex: Heterosexual Men, American Culture, and Emotional Intimacy (Order No. 32000006). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global; Publicly Available Content Database. (3198976383). [URL]

APA Citation:

Edwards, B. S. (2025). The Masculinity Complex: Heterosexual Men, American Culture, and Emotional Intimacy (Order No. 32000006). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global; Publicly Available Content Database. (3198976383). [URL]

MLA Citation:

Edwards, Benjamin S. The Masculinity Complex: Heterosexual Men, American Culture, and Emotional Intimacy, Pacifica Graduate Institute, United States -- California, 2025. ProQuest, [URL]

(What follows are accessible chapter summaries that help readers identify sections most relevant to their interests)

Chapter 1: Introduction - A Gateway to Understanding the Masculinity Complex: The Introduction chapter serves as an accessible entry point for anyone interested in understanding how masculinity shapes our collective experience. Written to be engaging and digestible for readers of all backgrounds - from high school students to seasoned scholars - this chapter introduces the concept of the "masculinity complex." I define this not in its limited early 20th century psychoanalytic usage, but as a cultural complex - a psychosocial receptacle that generates myriad emotionally charged reactions and behaviors depending on who it is constellated by, affecting the identity and worldview of everyone in society to varying degrees. Through a careful review of scholarly works, journalism, and cultural commentary on men and masculinity, it maps the often contradictory positions in contemporary discourse about what masculinity should be and how men should change. While the study maintains its focus on men's experiences, the introduction establishes that masculinity cannot be understood in isolation. It demonstrates how this topic is inherently interconnected with race, gender, and power dynamics, shaped equally by the experiences and behaviors of women, gender non-conforming individuals, and men alike. The chapter gradually introduces readers to depth psychological concepts and terminology, including several terms I've coined to describe these phenomena. This chapter sets the foundation for understanding these complex cultural patterns, making it an ideal starting point for readers seeking a nuanced and inclusive perspective on the mutual influence between masculinity and culture.

Chapter 2: Methodology and Personal Context: This chapter serves two distinct purposes. First, it outlines the study's methodological approach and theoretical framework. Second, it offers a deeply personal exploration of my own relationship to the research topic—the only section in the dissertation to be written in first-person voice. This latter section provides insight into how my experiences as a white-appearing, Chilean American man have shaped my understanding of masculinity. Through reflections on my bicultural upbringing, family dynamics, and engagement with American pop culture - from professional wrestling to touring as a musician - I examine how various cultural messages about masculinity influenced my development. The chapter demonstrates how personal experience informed my academic investigation, including my decision to expand the research focus beyond white men to examine broader patterns affecting heterosexual men across ethnic and cultural lines. For readers interested in understanding how researchers' personal experiences shape their scholarly work, or those curious about how American masculinity manifests in one man's lived experience, this chapter offers valuable context for the study's findings.

Chapter 3: Theoretical Framework - Understanding Complexes, Culture, and Psyche: This chapter serves as a comprehensive primer on key concepts in depth psychology and complex theory. Through clear explanations and examples, it introduces readers to fundamental ideas including psychological complexes, shadow, projection, collective psyche, the cultural unconscious, cultural complexes, and archetype theory. While these concepts are crucial to the dissertation's analysis of masculinity, this chapter stands as a valuable educational resource in its own right. Readers seeking to understand how individual and collective psychology interact will find here an accessible introduction to complex theory and its cultural dimensions. The chapter systematically builds from basic psychological concepts to more sophisticated cultural applications, making it useful for both newcomers to depth psychology and those looking to deepen their understanding of how personal and cultural complexes shape human experience.

Chapter 4: Cultural Patterns & Positionality - A New Framework for Working with Cultural Complexes: This chapter introduces an innovative theoretical framework I have named cultural patterns & positionality (CPP) that differentiates the inner structure of cultural complexes, since they are receptacles of cultural content that both work as autonomous structures operating as and contributing to dynamic systems across universal, regional, and personal dimensions. Drawing from multiple disciplines—including cultural complex theory, dialogical self theory, family systems theory, sociology, cultural theory, critical theory, and political science—the chapter presents a stratified model for understanding how cultural complexes function as seemingly neutral containers that hold emotionally charged content. These containers encompass archetypal, historical, and contemporary elements, from memories and images to ideas and beliefs, all centered around persistent sociocultural themes. When these complexes are constellated (triggered), they generate powerful emotional and behavioral responses that ripple through both individual and collective experience. This theoretical framework, currently being developed into a book, offers practical applications for facilitating challenging group work between people, including from different or opposing backgrounds, making it valuable for both academic understanding and real-world conflict resolution.

Chapter 5: Universal Dimensions of the Masculinity Complex: This chapter maps the foundational elements of what the study terms the Universal Masculinity Complex (UMC), which exists at the core of culture-specific masculinity complexes worldwide. The chapter carefully differentiates between universal presence and universal sameness, demonstrating how shared themes manifest distinctly across cultures and time periods. Drawing from anthropological, psychological, and historical evidence, it establishes key universal patterns—from masculine insecurity to power dynamics—while acknowledging the unique ways these patterns express themselves in different contexts. The chapter addresses scholarly debates about universalism head-on, distinguishing between oversimplified notions of sameness and the more nuanced understanding of shared underlying dynamics that manifest differently across cultures.

Through detailed investigation of masculine instincts, the hero archetype, and phallic symbolism, the chapter delves into fundamental questions about whether certain aspects of masculinity are innate or culturally constructed. It traces the historical development of patriarchal systems from early agricultural societies through various civilizations, examining how power structures evolved alongside changing social conditions. The chapter explores how patterns of othering, power dynamics, and male insecurity manifest across different societies, while examining the complex relationship between biological drives and cultural expressions of manhood. This deep analysis of universal themes provides essential context for understanding how cultural masculinity complexes develop their specific characteristics while maintaining connection to these core patterns. By examining how the UMC intersects with other universal complexes (core cultural complexes that exist across societies and throughout time) - the chapter lays crucial groundwork for understanding how the American Masculinity Complex (explored in subsequent chapters) builds upon and modifies these foundational patterns.

Chapter 6: The Cultural Origins and Formulation of America's Masculinity Complex: This chapter investigates how America's masculinity complex emerged and evolved through the nation's history, examining its role in moral discourse, identity formation, and cultural development. The analysis reveals that American manhood has existed in a state of perpetual "crisis" since the nation's inception, with tensions between idealized masculine authority and lived experience creating ongoing cultural anxiety. Drawing from historical documents and scholarly research, the chapter maps the complex relationship between hegemonic masculinity and American manhood across different racial and ethnic groups, including white, Black, Asian, and Latino experiences. The analysis shows how cultural trauma, systemic oppression, and social hierarchies shaped distinct yet interconnected masculine identities within American society, while examining how capitalism and class division have historically intertwined with masculine expression and power. The chapter concludes by examining how modern developments, including the shift from character to personality-focused culture and the rise of cyberculture, continue to transform American masculine identity in the 21st century, questioning if masculinity may be evolving into an ungendered cultural force that perpetuates historical patterns of dominance and inequality, regardless of sex.

Chapter 7: Group Positions Within Today's American Masculinity Complex: This chapter examines how the American masculinity complex manifests in contemporary culture through various intersecting group positions and voices. Crucially, it demonstrates that the masculinity complex is not simply a "man's problem" - in fact, it is not inherently a problem at all, but rather a cultural phenomenon that exists and influences people of all genders. How individuals and groups are constellated by it, and how it impacts their identity and behavior, determines whether its effects are experienced as positive, negative, or somewhere in between. Drawing from current events, media, and scholarly discourse, it analyzes how this complex shapes and is shaped by modern cultural developments, including shifts in gender dynamics, feminist movements, and digital culture. Through detailed analysis of popular culture, social media discourse, and academic debates, the chapter reveals how the complex operates across different spheres of American life. It explores the paradoxical nature of patriarchy in contemporary society and examines the evolving gender complex, including tensions between traditional binary concepts and emerging gender theories. The chapter employs a composite clinical vignette to demonstrate how cultural complexes constellate in individual relationships, while also analyzing broader cultural examples from entertainment, politics, and social movements. By mapping these various positions and their interactions, the chapter illuminates how the American masculinity complex creates both personal and collective emotional reactions that continue to shape American social discourse, behavior, and cultural evolution.

Chapter 8: Heterosexual Men and Emotional Intimacy in American Culture: For readers most interested in understanding how the masculinity complex directly impacts heterosexual men in contemporary America, this chapter provides crucial insights. Drawing from extensive psychological and sociological research, it maps how fear-based male emotional socialization creates an intimacy paradox: men need emotional connection for psychological health, yet are systematically conditioned away from developing this capacity. The chapter explores how this conditioning occurs through family dynamics, cultural messaging, and institutional structures, while examining the role of narcissistic defenses and shame in emotional dysfunction. It investigates how cultural figures and prototypes in media, literature, and American folklore shape male behavior and identity formation. The analysis reveals how intergenerational trauma and relational patterns create specific barriers to intimacy, including emotional dependency on female partners, anger as a primary emotional channel, and the sexualization of emotional needs. Through detailed examination of developmental patterns, relationship dynamics, and the origins of male emotional disconnection, the chapter demonstrates how these challenges reflect broader systemic issues rather than individual male shortcomings. The analysis concludes by exploring paths toward integration and emotional wholeness that honor both masculine strength and intimate vulnerability.