Gender and Barriers to Health

Abstract

In the previous chapter, we concluded that something was missing from the variety of ways in which scientists have tried to make sense of the perplexing gender differences in physical and mental health. Although current biological and social explanations are plausible when taken separately, neither are sufficient to explain the observed gender-based health variations. Instead, we contend that to explain these gender differences, models of health determinants need to be modified to include the concept of constrained choice; that is, the many ways in which decisions made and actions taken at the family, work, community, and government levels differentially shape the health-related choices of men and women. This chapter sets the stage for the remainder of our book. First we explore why current models of racial/ethnic and socioeconomic inequality do not adequately explain observed gender differences in health. Then we introduce our framework for explaining these differences from the innovative sociological perspective of constrained choice. This framework is meant to shed light on how decisions by different social groups – from governments to employers and families – influence the extent to which individuals incorporate health into a broad array of everyday choices. Last, we review sociological theories of rational action that provide insight into health behavior. By introducing the concept of constrained choice, we aim to address two central questions in the complex scenario of gender and health differences: (1) What keeps men and women from making health an everyday priority ?