Men's experiences of giving and taking social support after their wife's spinal cord injury

The aim of this study was to gain an understanding of how men living with women with spinal cord injury (SCI) experienced and acted when they were giving and taking social support to and from their wives and other persons in their social network. Another aim was to give some possible explanations of the complex process of change that they went through. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with four men and field notes. To describe the men's subjective experiences and the process of change, a narrative approach inspired by Polkinghorne was used. The analyses resulted in one story that included the four men's experiences and action. The story showed that when the men went through a process of change, they used and needed both emotional and practical support to handle their new life situation. Furthermore, the men's experiences and action against social support changed over time. This indicated that, through narratives from spouses, professionals within rehabilitation could understand the process of change they went through after their partner's sudden injury, and support them to find strategies to handle their changed life situation. To give some possible explanations for the men's experiences and action during the process of change, the findings are discussed in relation to theories concerning adaptation and coping.     

Blurring, moving and broken boundaries: men's encounters with the pregnant body

Abstract This paper draws on the findings of a longitudinal ethnographic study of men's transition to fatherhood, conducted in the United Kingdom (UK). It is concerned with their encounters with the pregnant and labouring body. Until relatively recently there has been surprisingly little work, either theoretical or empirical, on the experience of pregnant embodiment. Work in the last decade has indicated that women's experience of ‘being‐with‐child’, their experience of living in and being a pregnant body, can be an ambivalent affair, as some find disconcerting the experience of simultaneously being self and yet Other. If women, who possess the embodied and therefore privileged knowledge of pregnancy, can feel ambivalence, perhaps the case for expectant men is more so. This paper draws on interviews with men making the transition to fatherhood and analyses their experiences of and relation to the pregnant and labouring body. The theoretical analysis of their empirical accounts explores in particular the blurring, moving and broken boundaries of the pregnant and labouring body and how these changing body boundaries can challenge the taken‐ for‐granted assumption that bodies should always be contained, strong and firm. The implications of men's encounters with this ‘differently bounded’ body are examined.     

Men managing cancer: a gender analysis

As researchers consider gendered patterns in men's prostate cancer experiences, little attention has been devoted to how men manage ‘cancer’, more generally. Drawing on the experiences of 30 Canadian men with a variety of cancer types, this article details how men engaged illness self‐management and help‐seeking activities with lay and professional support persons. Results indicate three broad responsive strategies: fortifying resources, maintaining the familiar, and getting through. In these pursuits, the participants drew on a variety of performances to respond to social contexts demanding that men embody masculine ideals including strength, control, and stoicism. Considering gendered dynamics in how men manage the challenges of cancer, this article broadens understandings about men's cancer experiences by highlighting the drivers orienting participants' responsive efforts and challenging assumptions of help‐seeking as essentially problematic for men in Western society.     

I’m a young student,I’m a girl … and for some reason they are hard on me for smoking: The role of gender and social context for smoking behaviour

Despite considerable population declines, smoking has become increasingly socially stratified, a trend that emerges as salient when examining smoking according to gender. However, there is a dearth of comparative research with regard to smoking inequalities among men and women. The goal of this exploratory study was to examine how three elements of the social context (identity, body, agency) are gendered and the way in which they differentially shape men's and women's smoking practices. In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with 23 adult smokers living in Toronto and Montréal, Canada stratified by socio-economic position and gender. Our results show that: (1) women express considerable dissonance between gender identities and smoking behaviour, whereas men's gender identities seem to reinforce smoking behaviour; (2) women's smoking was tied to gendered representations of the body, with the fear of weight gain factoring into their smoking maintenance, whereas concern about the body was absent among men; (3) women suggested wanting, but not having agency over their smoking behaviour while men suggested having agency but little urgency to quit smoking. Our exploratory study points to the possibility that gender remains important for shaping smoking practices among adult smokers and that smoking among some women may be characterised by a greater sense of dissonance and tension than among some men. Addressing gender inequalities in the health discourse surrounding smoking may help reduce the current gender disparities in smoking patterns.     

Prostate cancer: embodied experience and perceptions of masculinity

Abstract While some argue that gender differences, which refer to the social classification into ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’, have their source in ‘culture’, others argue there is no need to have an absolute dichotomy between culture and nature, or between constructionist and anti‐constructionist epistemologies. Although there has been much theorising about the body, until recently little attention has been paid to empirical evidence. This paper looks at the way in which prostate cancer and its treatment affects men's bodies, their roles and sense of masculinity. Interviews were conducted with 52 men, exploring their experiences of prostate cancer. Findings suggest that many men are reluctant to consult their doctors, because ‘men don’t cry’, thus reinforcing the notion that ‘masculinity’ is a social construction. However, while the illness and the side effects of surgical and radiotherapy treatments sometimes led to impotence and incontinence, the treatments that involved hormones were reported to have an additional, sometimes profound effect on libido, energy, ability to work, body shape and competitiveness. These side effects reduced some men's sense of masculinity. We conclude that the physical body as well as culture should be considered when trying to explain what it means to be masculine, and how illness may affect men's sense of masculinity.     

Discussing the effects of prostate cancer beyond biographical disruption and new normalcy: the experiences of men with prostate cancer in Germany

The concept of biographical disruption has been used to explain the experience of a cancer diagnosis. Studies on cancer experience increasingly suggest that people diagnosed in older age may not have such disruptive experiences. Prostate cancer is diagnosed more often in older men and is often considered a disease of old age; furthermore, the signs of illness in prostate cancer and the signs of ageing might become convoluted. With this in mind, this paper aims to explore how 42 men with prostate cancer who participated in an interview study respond to and make sense of bodily changes. The sample was selected using a maximum variation strategy in order to describe a range of possible experiences with prostate cancer. Analysis was conducted thematically. The men’s narratives tell of the constant process of dealing with ageing-related and/or cancer-related changes to both their bodies and their social interactions, and their struggle to disentangle the related effects of ageing and/or cancer on their bodies. We describe how men “muddle through” problems of urinary leakage, potency and loss of libido. We then identify how men attributed changes as part of ageing and/or cancer to (better) manage the experiences of loss.     

The idea of African men: dealing with the cultural contradictions of sex in academia and in Kenya

In this paper, I reflect on the notion of ‘African men’ as it is employed in global health scholarship and disentangle the way the idea is used as a generative concept. I explore how this notion circulates and gets modified, adapted and reproduced by scholars, on the one hand, and by various groups of men in Africa, on the other. I argue that the use of the idea of African men as an a priori category in scholarly imagination and practice presents us with stereotypes that impede much research. I then briefly connect with what has been analysed as the hegemonic discourse on Africa as the paradigm of difference, and the history of local modes of self-presentation as Africans. In Kenya, among both men and women, the use of the phrase African men as a natural category of sexual agents has been used to explain or justify men's multiple sexual relations. Yet if we look more closely at men's experiences, it becomes clear how men are caught up in conflicting discourses of masculinity. I conclude that we need to analyse gender as a performative quality that is both constructed and meaningful.     

Men's experiences of sexuality after cancer: a material discursive intra-psychic approach

Men can experience significant changes to their sexuality following the onset of cancer. However, research on men's sexuality post-cancer has focused almost exclusively on those with prostate and testicular cancer, despite evidence that the diagnosis and treatment for most cancers can impact on men's sexuality. This Australian qualitative study explores the experiences of changes to sexuality for 21 men across a range of cancer types and stages, sexual orientations and relationship contexts. Semi-structured interviews were analysed with theoretical thematic analysis guided by a material discursive intra-psychic approach, recognising the materiality of sexual changes, men's intrapsychic experience of such changes within a relational context and the influence of the discursive construction of masculine sexuality. Material changes included erectile difficulty, decreased desire, and difficulty with orgasm. The use of medical aids to minimise the impact of erectile difficulties was shaped by discursive constructions of ‘normal’ masculine sexuality. The majority of men reported accepting the changes to their sexuality post-cancer and normalised them as part of the natural ageing process. Men's relationship status and context played a key role managing the changes to their sexuality. We conclude by discussing the implications for clinical practice.     

Work with men to end violence against women: a critical stocktake

This paper provides a critical assessment of efforts to involve men in the prevention of men's violence against women. Although there is a substantial evidence base attesting to the effectiveness of at least some strategies and interventions, this field is also limited in important ways. Violence prevention efforts often have focused on changing men's attitudes, rather than also seeking to transform structural and institutional inequalities. While feminist and queer scholarship has explored diversities and pluralities in the organisation of sexuality, much violence prevention work often assumes a homogenously heterosexual male constituency. Too often this work is conceptually simplistic with regard to gender. Against this background, this paper contests and complicates several assumptions that are part of an emerging consensus in men's violence prevention: first, that it is in men's interests to support progress towards non-violence and gender equality; second, that the best people to engage and work with men are other men; and finally, the strengths and limitations of inviting and drawing on ‘real men’. A critical assessment of the field's working assumptions is vital if it is to contribute to the future prevention of men's violence against women.     

Corps de ballet: the case of the injured ballet dancer

This paper contributes to debate on social constructionism in the sociology of health and illness through a study of injury among ballet dancers. In this empirical study of classical ballet dancers, we outline a phenomenology of the injured and ageing body in terms of a critical commentary on constructionism. We explore dancers' experiences of embodiment to illustrate our critique of recent interpretations of dance as a textual practice. Those forms of social constructionism that define the body as a text provide a forceful attack on discourses of authority and legitimation, but we argue that they are problematic as epistemologies and ontologies of embodiment. Through a phenomenological understanding of the experiences of embodiment, we observe how injury and ageing disrupt the practical accomplishments that underpin the ballet habitus and the dancer's identity. Although ballet injuries can terminate a dancing career, they are accepted as an inevitable part of the vocation of ballet. Our aim is to understand the interaction between injuries, dancers' experiences of discomfort and the social support that emerges from the ballet dancers as a social group. We draw on the concepts of social solidarity and collective consciousness in Emile Durkheim to show that injury is mediated through the social bonding of dancers into a professional ballet company, where injury is accepted as a sign of vocational commitment, and suggest that this 'collective effervescence' gives a novel meaning to the idea of a corps de ballet.     

Married men's first time experiences of early childbearing and their role in sexual and reproductive decision making: a qualitative study from rural Vietnam

Male partners' involvement in women's sexual and reproductive health has been increasingly emphasised in international health. A qualitative approach with open-ended qualitative interviews was used to explore young, married men's first time experiences of early childbearing, their sexual and reproductive decision making and the meanings they make of their role as husbands and fathers. The results offer a nuanced picture of the men's vulnerability in becoming young fathers and having to assume their role as family decision-makers, while still being inexperienced in matters related to the health of their wives and newborn child. Constraints to gender equality and traditional norms and values continue to pose barriers to both young men and women making independent decisions in relation to marriage and childbearing. Men's involvement is necessary in healthcare programmes designed to improve women's sexual and reproductive health and the health of the newborn. Young, first-time fathers, in particular, need support and empowerment.     

‘It's like taking a bit of masculinity away from you’: towards a theoretical understanding of men's experiences of infertility

In the UK, nearly half of all cases of infertility involve a ‘male‐factor’. Yet, little empirical work has explored how men as men negotiate this terrain. Three interrelated concepts; ‘hegemonic masculinity’, ‘embodied masculinity’ and the linkages between ‘masculinities’ and male help‐seeking, provide the theoretical framework that guided a qualitative study conducted with 22 men experiencing infertility. The paper explores men's propensity to delay their help‐seeking in relation to infertility despite their desire for children. It also demonstrates how, in the context of infertility, the male body can be defined as both a failed entity in itself (unable to father a child) and a subordinated social entity (unable to measure up to hegemonic ideals) that characterises men's masculine identities. The paper also illustrates how men appear willing to accept responsibility for their infertility and adopt aspects of hitherto subordinate masculine practice. This does not, however, constitute the total unravelling of well understood and accepted expressions of masculinity. Finally, the paper demonstrates how infertility is perceived as having the potential to fracture current and even future relationships. Moreover, regardless of how well men measured up to other hegemonic ideals, ultimately they can do little to counteract the threat of other (fertile) men.     

‘Men are leavers alone and women are worriers’: Gender differences in discourses of health

This paper explores gender differences in health talk, how such talk is informed by discourses at a societal level and the extent to which talking about health is a way of ‘doing gender.’ It draws on in-depth interviews with 48 women and men in their twenties and thirties showing that gender influences both the way people talk about health and their willingness to engage in health talk. It explores the way cultural constructions of gender influence the propensity to take risks with particular reference to HIV/AIDs and recreational drug use and the extent to which discourses of risk inform health talk. We discuss how changes in the occupational structure and the associated influx of men into ‘women's’ work are associated with more ‘feminized’ masculinities and a recognition among some men of the male body's vulnerability. They are also associated with men's health talk becoming more like women's. We conclude that cultural constructions of gender not only have an impact on health talk but also on the regulatory power of discourses of risk and risk management.     

Switching on After Nine: Black gay-identified men's perceptions of sexual identities and partnerships in South African towns

ABSTRACT

There is considerable diversity, fluidity and complexity in the expressions of sexuality and gender among men who have sex with men (MSM). Some non-gay identified MSM are known colloquially by gay-identified men in Mpumalanga, Province, South Africa, as ‘After-Nines’ because they do not identify as gay and present as straight during the day but also have sex with other men at night. Based on, key informant interviews and focus group discussions in two districts in Mpumalanga, we explored Black gay-identified men's perceptions of and relationships with After-Nine men, focusing on sexual and gender identities and their social consequences. Gay-identified men expressed ambivalence about their After-Nine partners, desiring them for their masculinity, yet often feeling dissatisfied and exploited in their relationships with them. The exchange of sex for commodities, especially alcohol, was common. Gay men's characterisation of After-Nines as men who ignore them during the day but have sex with them at night highlights the diversity of how same-sex practicing men perceive themselves and their sexual partners. Sexual health promotion programmes targeting ‘MSM’ must understand this diversity to effectively support the community in developing strategies for reaching and engaging different groups of gay and non-gay identified men.     

Men's perspectives on fall risk and fall prevention following participation in a group‐based programme conducted at Men's Sheds,Australia

Research on older men's views regarding fall prevention is limited. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences and perspectives of older men regarding fall risk and prevention so that fall prevention programmes can better engage older men. Eleven men who had taken part in a group‐based fall prevention programme called Stepping On conducted at Men's Sheds in Sydney, Australia, participated in semi‐structured interviews during June and July 2015 which were audio‐recorded and transcribed. Data were coded and analysed using constant comparative methods. Over‐arching theoretical categories were developed into a conceptual framework linking programme context and content with effects of programme participation on men. Men's Sheds facilitated participation in the programme by being inclusive, male‐friendly places, where Stepping On was programmed into regular activities and was conducted in an enjoyable, supportive atmosphere. Programme content challenged participants to think differently about themselves and their personal fall risk, and provided practical options to address fall risk. Two major themes were identified: adjusting the mindset where men adopted a more cautious mindset paying greater attention to potential fall risks, being careful, concentrating and slowing down; and changing the ways where men acted purposefully on environmental hazards at home and incorporated fall prevention exercises into their routine schedules. Practitioners can engage and support older men to address falls by better understanding men's perspectives on personal fall risk and motivations for action.     

Gender,masculinity and migration: Mexican men and reproductive health in the Californian context

An appreciation of the social, cultural and economic dimensions of gender and sexuality is important in increasing reproductive health service utilisation. This analysis of recent Mexican male immigrants in Southern California focuses on changing views of gender roles, masculinity and relationship dynamics in the context of migration in order to explain low levels of reproductive healthcare utilisation. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with 23 men who had migrated from Mexico. Some men saw their migratory experience as empowering, both individually and within the couple context. Migration reinforced positive male qualities, such as being a good provider. However, for others, the levelling of economic power between immigrant couples challenged traditional male gender roles and threatened men's identities. Maintaining control and decision-making power, especially in reproduction, remained tenacious, especially among older men. In response to immigration, however, men's views of ideal family size and contraceptive method preferences had evolved. The migration process caused some divisions in family networks and aspirations of fatherhood as an expression of masculinity contributed to varying levels of contraceptive use. Recommendations are made on factors that may empower male clients more actively to seek reproductive healthcare in the context of more equitable couple decision-making.     

Precariously placed: Home,housing and wellbeing for older renters

Older renters may encounter a wide range of challenges and constraints in their experiences of ageing, housing and community life that influence their wellbeing. We employ a two-part conceptualisation of precarity and resilience to investigate how housing-related precarities may impact upon experiences of ageing and home during later life. We draw on narratives collected through in-depth interviews with 13 older renters living in a particularly high-pressure housing market within the greater Auckland area. We ground our analysis in ideas of precarity and resilience evident in participants' experiences of being ‘at home’ at the scale of both the dwelling and wider community. Results show that experiences of renting and ageing can be complicated and compromised in diverse ways by interrelated aspects of precarity and resilience related to housing, community, health, financial and personal circumstances. Distance or isolation from services and healthcare, tourism-related infrastructural pressures, and community changes can intensify precarious experiences of home, and can have implications for older people's wellbeing, as well as their ongoing opportunities to age well in place. In addition to these potential precarities, older renters appear to draw strength from their familiarity with, attachment to, and enjoyment of, place and community. These responses demonstrate older renters' capacity for resilience to challenge and adversity when ageing in rented places.     

Masculinity and emotion in Mexican men's understandings of erectile dysfunction aetiology and treatment

This paper investigates the role that emotions related to local gender norms play in urban Mexican men's understandings of erectile dysfunction (ED) aetiology and drug treatment by analysing semi-structured interviews with 28 male urology patients. Analysing narrative data from our interviews, the paper examines how these men drew differently from locally intelligible ways of understanding health and masculinity to develop context-specific understandings of causes and potential treatment outcomes. Study participants' feelings of success or failure in life areas relating to the performance of ‘responsible’ masculinity, especially work and romance, strongly influenced understandings of ED aetiology and goals for drug treatment. Those who felt successful at being men collaborated with loved ones to adopt purely biological understandings of ED causation, while those who expressed negative emotions about their performances of masculinity viewed these feelings, as well as the structural and interpersonal problems that caused them, as key causes and consequences of dysfunction. I discuss how these different emotional experiences led to different ways of using medication, and the relevance of these findings for clinical practice.     

Marital status and body weight,weight perception,and weight management among U.S. adults

Married individuals often have higher body weights than unmarried individuals, but it is unclear how marital roles affect body weight-related perceptions, desires, and behaviors. This study analyzed cross-sectional data for 4,089 adult men and 3,989 adult women using multinomial logistic regression to examine associations between marital status, perceived body weight, desired body weight, and weight management approach. Controlling for demographics and current weight, married or cohabiting women and divorced or separated women more often perceived themselves as overweight and desired to weigh less than women who had never married. Marital status was unrelated to men's weight perception and desired weight change. Marital status was also generally unrelated to weight management approach, except that divorced or separated women were more likely to have intentionally lost weight within the past year compared to never married women. Additionally, never married men were more likely to be attempting to prevent weight gain than married or cohabiting men and widowed men. Overall, married and formerly married women more often perceived themselves as overweight and desired a lower weight. Men's marital status was generally unassociated with weight-related perceptions, desires, and behaviors. Women's but not men's marital roles appear to influence their perceived and desired weight, suggesting that weight management interventions should be sensitive to both marital status and gender differences.