Health and the social construction of masculinity in men's health magazine (original) (raw)
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Chapter 1 THEORISING MASCULINITY AND MEN ’ S HEALTH
2008
Men in the United States, on average, die more than 5 years younger than women (Department of Health and Human Services [DHHS], 2007). For all 15 leading causes of death, except Alzheimer’s disease, and in every age group, men and boys have higher death rates than women and girls (Courtenay, 2003). Men’s age-adjusted death rate for heart disease and cancer are both 1.5 times higher than women’s (DHHS, 2007). Men are also more likely than women to suffer severe chronic conditions and fatal diseases (Verbrugge & Wingard, 1987), and to suffer them at an earlier age. Nearly three out of four persons who die from heart attacks before age 65 are men (American Heart Association, 1995). Similar patterns in morbidity and mortality have been observed in the UK, Canada and Australia (see Courtenay, 2002; and Chapters 3, 6 and 9). A variety of factors infl uence and are associated with health and longevity, including economic status, ethnicity, and access to care (Laveist, 1993; Pappas et al., ...
Constructions of masculinity and their influence on mens well-being: a theory of gender and health
Social Science and Medicine, 2000
Men in the United States suer more severe chronic conditions, have higher death rates for all 15 leading causes of death, and die nearly 7 yr younger than women. Health-related beliefs and behaviours are important contributors to these dierences. Men in the United States are more likely than women to adopt beliefs and behaviours that increase their risks, and are less likely to engage in behaviours that are linked with health and longevity. In an attempt to explain these dierences, this paper proposes a relational theory of men's health from a social constructionist and feminist perspective. It suggests that health-related beliefs and behaviours, like other social practices that women and men engage in, are a means for demonstrating femininities and masculinities. In examining constructions of masculinity and health within a relational context, this theory proposes that health behaviours are used in daily interactions in the social structuring of gender and power. It further proposes that the social practices that undermine men's health are often signi®ers of masculinity and instruments that men use in the negotiation of social power and status. This paper explores how factors such as ethnicity, economic status, educational level, sexual orientation and social context in¯uence the kind of masculinity that men construct and contribute to dierential health risks among men in the United States. It also examines how masculinity and health are constructed in relation to femininities and to institutional structures, such as the health care system. Finally, it explores how social and institutional structures help to sustain and reproduce men's health risks and the social construction of men as the stronger sex.
The Social and Behavioral Foundations of Men's Health—A Public Health Perspective
Primary Care: Clinics in Office Practice, 2006
To paraphrase a landmark book title, Why are Some People Healthy and Others Not? The Determinants of Health of Populations [1], why are some men healthy and others not? The answer to this question is as complex as the definition of health. Health and health status often result from health behavior. Too many men smoke, drink, and overeat; place themselves in risky situations; exercise too little; and seek preventive care infrequently. Too many men of color are dying younger than they should. The challenge for health care providers is to better understand the determinants of men's health and the factors that influence positive and negative health behaviors, and to find ways to effectively modify the social and behavioral factors that influence the health of their male patients.
Journal of Men's Health, 2011
Gender, the complex of social relations and practices attached to biological sex, is one of the most important socio-cultural factors influencing health and health-related behavior. Although a large body of health research suggests that men with similar social disadvantages as women experience poorer health outcomes in relation to disability, chronic illness, injury rates and mortality, men's health is rarely deconstructed through the lens of gender. The purpose of this article is to increase understanding of the ways in which masculinities intersect with other social determinants of health creating health disparities among men, and to provide direction for masculine affirming health interventions aimed specifically at men. With the goal of promoting the health of men and decreasing health disparities, the authors have developed, within the Canadian context, an innovative theoretical framework for men's health, Health, Illness, Men and Masculinities (HIMM), based on the influence of masculinity throughout the lifecourse. We discuss three main phases of men's lifecourse showing how masculinity intersects with other social determinants of health differently during youth, middle-age and the older years. The HIMM Framework points to the need for research and theory development that moves us beyond a limited focus on any one individual man to consider men's health and illness practices in the larger social context within which masculinity is defined and produced. It can thus advance men's health research and theory development, and provide direction for policy, education, health care delivery and health promotion initiatives aimed specifically at men in many locales, contexts and countries.