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Masculinity and men’s studies, initially seen as one particular section of explorations of what it means to be a man, appeared as a secondary field, even if linked to Simone de Beauvoir’s “the first sex.” In de Beauvoir’s feminist manifesto of the second wave, “woman” apparently had an identity of her own, but was only defined as being the absence, the “lack,” the Other, against which man defined himself. The current essay examines the historicity of gender roles and the developing contexts in which perceptions of them and theories about them are largely defined by new contexts for which the activation of hegemonic or feminine masculinities, for example, is more than a reasonable choice. The last section engages with literary responses to masculinity as articulated by Lowell, Vonnegut, and Heller in a less-than-heroic age where significant masculinity shifts emerged in American fiction as well.

Masculinity and men's studies, initially seen as one particular section of explorations of what it means to be a man, appeared as a secondary field, even if linked to Simone de Beauvoir's "the first sex." In de Beauvoir's feminist manifesto of the second wave, "woman" apparently had an identity of her own, but was only defined as being the absence, the "lack," the Other, against which man defined himself. The current essay examines the historicity of gender roles and the developing contexts in which perceptions of them and theories about them are largely defined by new contexts for which the activation of hegemonic or feminine masculinities, for example, is more than a reasonable choice. The last section engages with literary responses to masculinity as articulated by Lowell, Vonnegut, and Heller in a less-than-heroic age where significant masculinity shifts emerged in American fiction as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Alman Dili ve Edebiyati Dergisi / Studien zur Deutschen Sprache & Literatur is the property of Alman Dili ve Edebiyall Dergisi / Studien Zur Deutschen Sprahe und Literatilr and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Basson's 'sexual response model' may have been developed to more accurately represent women's sexual interests and behaviour – to challenge previous sexual desire models based on men's sexuality – but in sex therapy practice, it appears to sanction men's right to define and govern heterosexual interactions. Close readings of Basson's case studies show how, instead of helping men better understand and adapt to women's sexual needs, the sexual response model's therapeutic goal consists of helping women better understand and adapt to men's sexual needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Men comprise a small minority of the nursing workforce and there has been little increase in the numbers of men in nursing during the last three decades. This study investigated lived experiences of male nurses to understand reasons men remain a small percentage of the nursing workforce. Participants shared similar and diverse experiences. Findings included focused discussion on participants' career motivations and strategies for success in nursing. Motivators included family influences, desire to care, and job benefits. Success strategies included assimilation, organizational involvement, and mentorship. This study highlights the need for nurses to be ambassadors for diversity and inclusivity and can be used to improve nursing recruitment efforts aimed at men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Men's experiences with sexual violence is an understudied topic within sociological literature. Despite the few past research endeavors that have focused on men, little is known regarding the ways that men college students grapple with their lived experiences with sexual violence. Using a sample of 29 active men college students, semi-structured interviews were conducted in order to investigate the ways in which men conceptualize their experiences with sexual violence in their own words. Results indicate that masculinity is intimately connected to sexual violence victimhood, as men can consider themselves victims, but in very distinct ways. Masculinity also acts as a sort of "buffer," in that many men who were interviewed for this research describe their experiences with sexual violence in ways that are similar to women's experiences, but they also express difficulty in accurately framing these experiences using linguistic framing mechanisms. Future directions for research are also explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this contribution, I consider some appreciative links and qualified connections between Raewyn Connell's work and my own. In particular, I use the example of sport, a key area in the making of boys and young men in many parts of the world, with special reference to body, practice, and theoretical and empirical conceptualizations of masculinity. Keywords: body, boyhood, masculinity, sport, young men, So, where to start? I first encountered Raewyn Connell in the early 1980s at long distance, through texts; that is, via her drafts (I think mimeograph was the term) of [...]

Raewyn Connell's work foregrounds bodies in a way that challenges the social-constructionist orientation that has dominated much of the critical research on masculinities. Yet, her concept of 'body-reflexive practices' is one of the least explored aspects of her work. In this commentary, I argue that body-reflexive practices, as the concept is developed in The Men and the Boys, points in the direction of a potentially productive convergence between masculinity studies and new materialist theories. In its engagement with the nature of bodies underlying the cultural construction of gender, Connell's work maintains a relevance that has been largely unappreciated. This is especially the case for boys and young men as they develop masculinities in negotiation with their corporeal capacities. Keywords: affect, bodies, cathexis, complexity, nature, Gender is the way bodies are drawn into history; bodies are arenas for the making of gender patterns (Connell 2000: 12). Raewyn Connell's work has always foregrounded the importance of [...]

Animated movies can be treated as one of the forms of cultural transmission that can be a source of gender stereotypes. Therefore, they are involved in the process of constructing images of femininity and masculinity, especially among young viewers. The author of this article presents what are, in his opinion, the most popular ways of categorizing masculinity, and then juxtaposes them with the typology of masculine characters presented in contemporary animated films. The empirical material used in the study is based on a qualitative content analysis carried out on the fifteen most popular titles from the years 2011–2015. Certain difficulties regarding the description of the characters presented in animated films, using categories from classical theories of masculinity, are indicated. The author presents a new category of masculinity – selective masculinity.

Copyright of Adult Education Discourses / Dyskursy Młodych Andragogów is the property of University of Zielona Gora and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article deals with the lack of male enrolments in training courses dedicated to educational and caring professions. A study carried out by the author with male university students who have known how to move outside the “gender cages” by enrolling in broadly feminised courses of study, allows us to pinpoint a plurality of social and cultural factors that discourage young men from approaching knowledge and practices historically unrelated to their gender. This contribution also intends to highlight the lack of attention paid to the promotion of gender equality in the Italian school and training context, particularly in terms of educational orientation

Men aged 85 years and over have the highest rate of suicide of any age or gender group in Australia. However, little is known about their trajectory toward suicide. The objective of this study was to understand the role of masculine norms and other life factors in the suicidality of older men. Thirty-three men aged 80 years or more took part in a semistructured focus group or interview, and/or completed a survey. Participants were asked about the issues facing older men, well-being and aging, physical health challenges, social support, mental health and help-seeking, and suicide and suicide prevention. Five themes emerged: “finding out we’re not invincible,” “active and tough,” “strong silent types,” “decision makers,” and “right to die.” Participants spoke about masculine norms that had influenced their lives as providers and decision makers, and now influenced how they coped with aging and their journey toward death. For some participants, suicide was seen to be a rational alternative to dependence in their final years. Suicide prevention should adopt a gendered approach and be cognizant of the influence of gender roles and masculinity in older men’s lives. Further research and prevention efforts should be mindful of the impact of masculine norms of self-reliance and control on an older man’s decision to end his life. Suicide prevention efforts should work to reduce stigma around the challenges of aging, maximize opportunities for control, facilitate social connection, and improve residential aged care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Studia Socjologiczne is the property of Studia Socjologiczne and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Depression is common among athletes following sport injury, yet few studies have explored the severity of postinjury depression. Among those studies, only one examined gender differences although women in the general population are more likely than men to experience depression. No research to date has used interviews to assess depression despite their standard use among mental health professionals. In a quasi-experimental design, we used a self-report checklist and a clinical interview to compare depression among male and female athletes at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months postinjury. Results revealed significant effects of group (injured vs. control) and time (since injury), and these effects were different for the two depression measures. We also explored the sensitivity and specificity of the user-rated checklist in identifying severely depressed athletes compared with the interview. Findings underscore the importance of multimodal approaches and clinical judgment when evaluating athletes' postinjury depression symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Men's conformity to masculine norms, such as stoicism and self-reliance, has been shown to be associated with a range of negative psychological outcomes. We developed Man Up —a three-part documentary that examined the link between masculinity, mental health, and suicide for men in Australia. We conducted a multifaceted evaluation that included a randomized controlled trial (RCT) and a web survey. RCT participants and web survey respondents were asked how their views of the term "man up" had changed since watching the documentary. This article provides feedback from the 306 men who responded to this question. Participants commented on how the documentary prompted them to rethink stereotypes of masculinity. The findings suggest that the documentary had a positive impact on men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the current study was to understand older African American men's perceptions of and experiences with patient-provider communication during primary care medical visits. Fifteen African American men age 50 and older participated in individual semistructured interviews. Open-ended questions focused on their primary care therapeutic alliance, preferences for decision-making, self-efficacy, patient satisfaction, communication, and companion participation during primary care medical visits. Emergent themes included the perception of rushed and inattentive care related to low socioeconomic status, inadequate information exchange about medical testing and follow-up care, welcoming the help of highly engaged companions, and proactively preparing for medical visits. Participants' assertiveness, confidence, and persistence with health providers regarding agenda setting for their care were most prevalent and contradict extant literature portraying African American men as less engaged or informed patients. Older African American men, particularly those with low socioeconomic status, may benefit from additional support and advocacy to consistently receive patient centered care and communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extensive research has documented how hegemonic conceptions of masculinity shape men's behaviors, beliefs, and health. However, most research focuses on younger men and most datasets of aging adults do not include measures of masculinity. This two-pronged omission renders older men relatively invisible. Part of the reason for this invisibility is the lack of reliable, validated measures of masculinity applicable to aging men. In this project, we document, describe, and validate an eight-item hegemonic masculinity measure administered to more than 1,000 older men (~65 years old). Multivariate analyses predicting gender-typed hobbies consistently validate this Hegemonic Masculinity for Older Men Scale (HMOMS), pointing to the HMOMS as an exciting new option for further exploring the nuances and correlates of masculinity ideals among aging men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article deals with the lack of male enrolments in training courses dedicated to educational and caring professions. A study carried out by the author with male university students who have known how to move outside the "gender cages" by enrolling in broadly feminised courses of study, allows us to pinpoint a plurality of social and cultural factors that discourage young men from approaching knowledge and practices historically unrelated to their gender. This contribution also intends to highlight the lack of attention paid to the promotion of gender equality in the Italian school and training context, particularly in terms of educational orientation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Men think about sex ... a lot. Is this a problem or is this a site for reformation? In this paper, we set out to think actively, deeply, about the question of sexuality, to penetrate the limits of men and masculinity studies, and to tease at a range of questions that it seems the field is not attending to for any number of reasons. When men's studies scholars speak of sex, we often speak of rape culture, violent sex, ideas of entitlement to sex, sex workers and pornography. Many of these approaches would be framed and understood by many as 'sex negative.' This paper sets out to think about what a 'sex positive' vision of men's studies might look like - and also to ask if a sex positive vision of the field is even possible, desirable or necessary. In this paper, we braid together sex positive feminist theory, queer theory and men's studies to complicate the matter of sexuality, both as an actual site of the kinds of things we do, and as a site of psychic and affective possibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses critical and cultural studies approaches to popular media analysis. The concept of ideal subject position is presented as a useful tool for the analysis of media texts. Applying this concept to a case study of Sports Illustrated supports the argument that Sports Illustrated texts beckon consumers who are white, Western, affluent, Christian, heterosexual men. The political implications of this analysis are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the basis of research conducted across several men’s focus groups in coordination with Maschile Plurale, this essay engages the topic of Men’s Studies. Beginning with an introduction to the scientific and social debate on masculinity, the essay provides a cross-examination of empirical data across multiple themes including male body, care practices, and self-listening. A framework emerges which confirms a contemporary male ambivalence balanced between stigmatized patriarchal models, and newer modes of behavior not yet consolidated. Even men who practice self-reflection, and are therefore aware of their attitudes, affirm the difficulties of masculine intimacy. An example is reticence toward physical contact with other men, which even fatherhood, encouraging physical contact with one’s children, fails to ease. Emerging from the field however, is the heuristic value of qualitative research that engage men “in transformation”; significant not only to close gaps in our understanding of these issues, but also as a transformative practice in sociocultural reality.