Gender Paradox Research Articles

Problematising the ‘Man Problem’ in the Domestic Abuse Act: Discursive Co-option and The (In)Visibility of Gender

This article offers a discourse analysis of domestic abuse's ‘Man Problem’ by combining and developing Naffine's, Foucault's and Bacchi's work in a new way. Taking the parliamentary debates around the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 in England and Wales as our focus, we critique how MPs problematise gender to justify a gender-neutral definition of domestic violence and abuse (DVA). We illustrate how MPs reframe DVA's ‘man problem’ not as the problem of men as perpetrators of violence against women. But rather, they represent the law and policy ‘problem’ as men's invisibility as victims of DVA. We develop a new theoretical innovation to advance our critique: discursive co-option, and we uncover two gender paradoxes. We argue that MPs co-opt gender equality discourses to advance masculinist politics and patriarchal logics in ways that have detrimental effects for the less powerful, and which elide the reality of women's experiences of DVA.

Cross-Sectional Association Between Life Expectancy and Unhealthy Life Years: Proof of Concept Tests of the CroHaM Hypothesis

The recently presented CroHaM hypothesis says (1) that longitudinal health domain-specific expansion and compression effects depend primarily on the health domains’ mortality risk and (2) that these effects exist equivalently in the cross-sectional context, affecting differences in healthy life years (HLY) between populations and subpopulations with different levels of life expectancy (LE). We test this hypothesis by analysing the association between LE and unhealthy life years (ULY) at age 50 for a large number of subpopulations. The analyses are carried out for three health domains which are differently related to mortality: poor self-perceived health and strong activity limitation with comparatively high mortality, and chronic morbidity with comparatively low risk of dying. Data on gender- and subpopulation-specific prevalence of these health conditions are taken from the Actual German Health Study 2012 (GEDA). LEs are estimated with the “Longitudinal Survival Method”, using data of the German Life Expectancy Survey. ULY are estimated with the “Sullivan Method”. Differences in ULY between each subpopulation and the total population and between women and men for each subpopulation are decomposed into the effects caused by differences in health (“health effect”) and mortality (“mortality effect”) with the “Nusselder/Looman Method”. The results confirm the CroHaM hypothesis: we find a positive relationship between LE and ULY only for chronic morbidity, whereas this relationship is negative for poor self-perceived health and strong activity limitation. However, when the mortality effect is controlled for, we find a negative relationship between LE and ULY for all three health domains. The practical relevance of these findings is discussed using the example of the so-called “gender paradox” in health and mortality. We conclude that the CroHaM hypothesis may describe an important determinant of life years spent with and without health impairment, and it may help to better understand and interpret trends and differentials in HLY or ULY based on cross-sectional data. * This article belongs to a special issue on “Levels and Trends of Health Expectancy: Understanding its Measurement and Estimation Sensitivity”.

Oltre il “paradosso di genere”: l’identità di genere come “schema culturale” e “risorsa simbolica” nell’era delle singolarità

The analysis of the so-called gender paradox represents the starting point of a theoretical-interpretative framework which, through a structuralist analysis of gender identity, intends to introduce understanding criteria capable of shedding new light on a paradox that only appears to be such. After examining the achievements of the most recent sociological literature on gender, with particular reference to the multidimensional perspectives that look at gender as a structure in the Giddensian sense, the article proposes an original interpretative framework that explores the potentialities of structuration theory, delving into the dual nature inherent in structures, through the recurrence of “cultural patterns” and “symbolic resources”. The second part of the article proposes a theoretical shift that assumes gender identity as a structure, to thematize the processes of social structuring that, starting from modernity, have led to the emergence of individuation processes, then declined, in late-modern societies, into individualization and singularization. The proposed interpretative framework allows, in the concluding part of the article, both to highlight how the gender paradox is not paradoxical at all, and to read the strong polarisation of the public debate around the redefinition of possible gender identifications as an expression of the new cleavage between hyper-culture and cultural essentialism.

Masculinity and Violence Interconnectedness: Defining and Reconciling the Gender Paradox Among Men With Cumulative Lifetime Violence Histories

Masculinity and Violence Interconnectedness: Defining and Reconciling the Gender Paradox Among Men With Cumulative Lifetime Violence Histories

Solving the gender paradox in adolescent suicide: challenges and directions.

Solving the gender paradox in adolescent suicide: challenges and directions.

Addressing the gender paradox: Effective suicide prevention strategies for women

The gender paradox in suicide research refers to the phenomenon that while males report higher suicide mortality, females suffer more from suicidal thoughts, leading to higher suicidal risks. This paradox may lead to the misconception that female suicides do not require as much attention. Therefore, there is an urgent need for researchers to shift their perspectives from the current male-centric approach to more inclusive knowledge for female suicidality. Following this, the current commentary emphasizes the importance of identifying and addressing the crucial but overlooked psychosocial factors underlying female suicidality. In addition, the ecological framework is employed as a guiding tool for exploring the intricate interplay of biological, psychological, societal, and cultural factors that are associated with female suicidality, thereby allowing researchers and stakeholders to develop more effective prevention and intervention strategies tailored to women's needs. Overall, this commentary calls for more refined and equitable approaches to suicide prevention that address the needs of individuals for all gender identities.

The gender paradox in health-impaired lifetime-end of amyth?

Women live longer than men, but they spend more life years with health-impairment. This article examines the extent to which this gender paradox can be explained by two factors: the "mortality effect," which results from the higher life expectancy of women, and "differential item functioning" (DIF), which refers to gender differences in reporting behavior. Impaired life expectancy at age50 is calculated for the health indicators general health, limitations, and chronic morbidity using the Sullivan method. Data on health prevalence are obtained from the 2012 survey "Gesundheit in Deutschland aktuell" (GEDA), data on mortality is taken from the Human Mortality Database. The gender difference in impaired life expectancy is decomposed into the mortality effect and the health effect. The latter is finally adjusted for DIF effects on the basis of vignettes from the 2004 SHARE survey. The gender paradox can be resolved not only partially but completely for all three health indicators considered by the mortality effect and DIF. After taking these two factors into account, the gender difference in impaired life expectancy reverses from higher values for women to higher values for men. The causes of the gender paradox are highly complex and the differences between women and men in total and impaired life expectancy are not necessarily going into contradictory directions. The extent of women's higher impaired life expectancy depends decisively on the underlying health indicator and is largely explained by the mortality effect.

Exploring transgender transition and food socialization

ABSTRACT Food and eating habits contribute to gender differentiation. This article aims to empirically explore gender and food-related socialization of transgender individuals. We contemplate food and gender socialization of transgender individuals as an ongoing, productive process across the life course. To investigate food habits of transgender individuals four biographical interviews were conducted with trans persons. The empirical results show that trans persons orient themselves toward the social ideas concerning their lived gender. During primary socialization through the family, the sex assigned at birth initially manifests itself in the adaptation of socially normed sets of rules regarding gender and eating habits. During the transition to the opposite gender, food serves as a means of creating a gendered body that corresponds to the social ideals of a female or male body. Accordingly, food is a means of expressing conformity to societal ideas of gender. With our first insights we explore possible avenues for future research into transgender food cultures. For example, the congruence of inner and outer reality, but also the role of the body in food habits might need more attention. In addition, further food research could consider non-binary gender paradoxes.

Depression in the field of tension of gender roles

The distribution of depression and suicidal ideation by gender reveals agender paradox: women are at least twice as likely to be diagnosed with depressive disorders but have alower suicide rate than men. In contrast, the suicide rate of men is at least three times higher than women, while the prevalence of depressive disorders is only half as high. Although these differences have long been known the reasons for this paradox are still not fully understood. The aim of this narrative review article is to discuss possible explanatory models regarding gender differences in depressive disorders. Aspects related to stress processing and traumatization are considered as well as sociological and biological factors. This article summarizes information that was considered particularly relevant in the interdisciplinary dialogue regarding possible explanatory factors for gender differences in depressive disorders. The summarized studies indicate that women and men differ in certain aspects of stress processing and trauma exposure but men do not have alower risk of disease as aresult. On the contrary, the frequency of depressive disorders in men seems to be underestimated due to an atypical symptom manifestation. The implementation of knowledge about gender-specific vulnerability in the training of physicians and psychotherapists, the systematic assessment of gender beyond binary classifications as well as further diversity domains in research and healthcare as well as gender-sensitive and diversity-sensitive prevention strategies could contribute to the resolution of the gender paradox.

The Logic of Imagination and Gender Paradox:On the Adaptation Research of Red Rose White Rose

Eileen Chang's novels are deeply loved by the big screen for their cinematic imaginative literary style, highly informative and intellectual literary charm, and desolate and colorful literary temperament. However, these characteristics also bring controversy to her adaptation of movies. This article does not focus on exploring the inevitable changes brought about by media transformation, but directly points to the narrative core of the text. Taking the adaptation film Red Rose White Rose directed by Stanley Kwan as an example, by comparing the core narrative themes of the novel and the film, this study explores the narrative adaptation strategies and underlying logic of the film.

Is there a gender paradox in the association between conduct problems and cannabis use? A cohort-study among Swedish adolescents.

Conduct problems (CP) predict cannabis use prospectively but the research is mixed as to whether this association is stronger among girls. A stronger association among girls would suggest a 'gender paradox' as both CP and cannabis use is less common in this group. This study aimed to assess whether the longitudinal association between CP and cannabis use in Swedish adolescents is stronger among girls. Data from two waves of a nationally representative cohort study of Swedish adolescents born in 2001 were used. Baseline measurements were collected in 9th grade (at age 15-16) and follow-up measures at 11th grade (at age 17-18). CP at baseline were significantly associated with cannabis use at follow-up adjusted for hyperactivity problems, emotional problems, socio-demographics, parental monitoring, school grades and truancy at baseline (odds ratio [OR] 1.14, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.06-1.24) but not when also adjusting for substance use at baseline. Boys were more likely to have used cannabis during the past year, even when controlling for prior substance use (OR 2.29, 95% CI 1.76-2.98). The association between CP and cannabis use was significantly weaker for boys (OR 0.83, 95% CI 0.72-0.95 in the fully adjusted model). The predicted probability of cannabis use was stable at 0.13 for boys across levels of CP, but ranged from 0.05 to 0.16 for girls. The longitudinal association between CP and cannabis use was stronger among girls. The findings are indicative of a 'gender paradox' in the association between CP and cannabis use.

Analysis of social mobility in times of war

The article examines the peculiarities of social mobility under martial law, which consist in increasing imbalances in the labour market in terms of labour supply and demand, requirements for the level of qualification of employees and the actual level of education, qualifications of applicants and their existing profession, gender and age paradoxes in the structure of the employed population. The dynamics and causes of social mobility during the military escalation are analysed, among which the mobilisation of men and the departure of a significant part of the working-age female population outside the country, the outflow of highly qualified specialists and young people take a prominent place. The author examines the trends of social mobility in the labour market as a result of the devastating impact of the war, namely, the growing differences in employment opportunities, depending on the place of residence and qualifications. The author establishes a meaningful relationship between the interpretation of the concept of «social mobility» by domestic and foreign scholars, in particular, the coverage of this concept through the prism of intergenerational mobility, and also examines the role of the state and higher education institutions in enhancing social mobility.

Book review: N. B. Lekha & A. Palackal, Unveiling the Gender Paradox: Dynamics of Power, Sexuality and Property

N. B. Lekha & A. Palackal, Unveiling the Gender Paradox: Dynamics of Power, Sexuality and Property (Palgrave Macmillan, 2022), xiii + 160 pp., ₹12,478 (Hardback). ISBN 978-3-031-09699-3 (Hardcover), 978-3- 031-09701-0 (Softcover), 978-3-031-09699-0 (e-book).

A woman’s got to be what a woman’s got to be? How managerial assessment centers perpetuate gender inequality

Why do women receive equal or better performance ratings than men in managerial assessment centers even when they are structured in ways that systematically disadvantage them? This study provides the first attempt to understand this managerial assessment center gender paradox using in-depth interviews with managerial assessment center evaluators for a large semi-military governmental organization. The study revealed that the managerial assessment center was a gendered environment in which organizational practices, language used, and the underlying logic establish and reinforce men as assertive or protectors and women as weak and in need of protection. In accordance with the managerial assessment center gender paradox, women were successful at the managerial assessment center despite systemic bias against them. Interpretive analysis revealed that women candidates generate discomfort that evaluators alleviate by increased attention to the extent to which they conform to gender ideology. We coin the term ‘benevolence effect’ to describe evaluators’ tendency to over-valuate and advance women candidates who conform to traditional stereotypes of white femininity. The benevolence effect paradoxically contributes to the preservation and perpetuation of the sexual binary and the idealization of the abstract manager as male-bodied in the organization, even as it contributes to the promotion of women.

Is lethality different between males and females? Clinical and gender differences in inpatients suicide attempters

IntroductionAccording to the gender paradox,in suicidology an important sex difference has been reported with a preponderance of females in nonfatal suicidal behavior and a preponderance of males in completed suicide.The lethality of suicidal behavior in females is lower most likely because males choose more violent suicide methods.Furthermore,women more frequently present traditional risk factors for suicide than do men,including depression,childhood sexual abuse, and prior suicidal ideation and attempts.ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to explore possible clinical differences between male and female psychiatric inpatients who had recently attempted suicide.We hypothesized that clinical characteristics such as psychiatric diagnosis,the methods and lethality of the suicide attempt,the history of suicide attempts,age at onset of psychiatric illness,the presence of substance or alcohol use and the length of stay differ between male and female suicide attempters.MethodsThe study included 177 adult inpatients at the University Psychiatric Clinic, Sant’Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome hospitalized following a suicide attempt, between January 2018 and May 2022.Clinical features assessed included psychiatric diagnosis, method and lethality of suicide attempts using the Risk-Rescue Rating Scale, the history of suicide attempts, age at onset of psychiatric illness, the presence of substance or alcohol use, and the length of stay.All statistical analyses were performed with the Statistical Package for Social Sciences(SPSS 27.0).ResultsMales and females differed according to the method used for suicide attempt(x23=10.96,p<0.05),the scores for risk and rescue(t175=2.55,p<0.05;t146.6=-1.99,p<0.05,respectively),and the length of stay(U= 3084.5,p<0.05).Females were more likely to use drug/poisoning ingestion as method for suicide attempt than were males(72.8% vs.51.4%),whereas males were more likely to use hanging than were females(20.3% vs. 6.8%).The risk score was higher for males(3.76±0.68)than for females(3.49±0.72),and the rescue score was higher for females than for males(2.79±1.09 vs. 2.43±1.22).Finally,the length of stay was longer for males than for females(10.66±8.09 vs. 8.25±6.48).These results confirm the role of difference in suicide methods used by males and females for explaining the “gender paradox.”ConclusionsThe present study illustrates the usefulness of the Risk-Rescue Rating Scale which is a descriptive and quantitative method of assessing the lethality of suicide attempts.Identifying sex related characteristics of suicide risk in patients is important for implementing specific suicide prevention strategies to reduce suicidal intent, psychological pain and rehospitalization in patients with psychiatric disorders.Men and women may need different strategies for the prevention of future suicidal behavior.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

КАЧЕСТВО ТРУДОВОЙ ЖИЗНИ И УДОВЛЕТВОРЕННОСТЬ РАБОТОЙ РОССИЙСКИХ ЖЕНЩИН И МУЖЧИН: СРАВНИТЕЛЬНЫЙ АНАЛИЗ

The relevance of the study is due to the fact that the quality of working life (QWL) is an important factor determining the effective implementation of the labor potential of employees, which, in turn, leads to a high quality of life. The object of the research is women and men employed in the Russian labor market. The subject is a comparison of the quality of working life and job satisfaction of working women and men in the Russian labor market. The purpose of the paper is to quantitatively and qualitatively assess the individual parameters of the QWL of Russian workers, as well as to analyze the job satisfaction of those employed in dynamics and depending on gender; to establish by what parameters of the QWL there is a difference between the sexes and how large it is. The main research method was a comparative analysis of microdata from the Russian Monitoring of the Economic Situation and Health of the Population of the National Research University Higher School of Economics (RLMS-HSE) for 2000-2021, and data from the Comprehensive Surveillance of Living Conditions of the Population (CSLS-2020). The author put forward a hypothesis about a "gender paradox" in Russia and the presence of different factors underlying job satisfaction for men and women, as well as the presence of gender inequality in a number of QWL indicators. Based on the results of the study, it was concluded that the gender paradox persists in Russia; the hypothesis that JS factors for men and women differ was not confirmed. The area of application of the results is the development of theoretical, methodological, and instrumental approaches to measuring the differences between the parameters of QWL of men and women, the improvement of employment policy, the improvement of working conditions to improve QWL, and the development of appropriate strategies.

Poor psychological health and 8-year mortality: a population-based prospective cohort study stratified by gender in Scania, Sweden

ObjectivesWe investigated gender differences in the association between mortality and general psychological distress (measured by 12-item General Health Questionnaire, GHQ-12), as an increased mortality risk has been shown in community...

Is Lethality Different between Males and Females? Clinical and Gender Differences in Inpatient Suicide Attempters.

According to the gender paradox in suicidology, an important sex difference has been reported with a preponderance of females in nonfatal suicidal behavior and a preponderance of males in completed suicide. Furthermore, females and males present different risk factors for suicide. The present study explored possible clinical differences between male and female psychiatric inpatients who had recently attempted suicide. The study included 177 adult inpatients hospitalized following a suicide attempt at the University Psychiatric Clinic, Sant’Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome. Clinical features assessed included psychiatric diagnosis, method and lethality of suicide attempts using the Risk/Rescue Rating Scale, the history of suicide attempts, age at onset of psychiatric illness, the presence of substance or alcohol use, and the length of stay. The results found that males and females differed in the method used for the suicide attempt, the scores for risk and rescue, and the length of hospitalization post-suicide attempt. In conclusion, identifying gender characteristics of patients at higher risk of suicide is important for implementing specific suicide prevention strategies and reducing the risk of future suicidal behavior in psychiatric inpatients.

The Gender Paradox: Understanding the Role of Masculinity in Suicidal Ideation.

It is important to understand the role of social determinants, such as gender, in suicidal ideation. This study examined whether conformity to specific masculine norms, particularly high self-reliance and emotional self-control, moderated the relationship between psychological distress and suicidal ideation for men. The other norms explored were those pertaining to behavioral–emotional or social hierarchy status aspects of masculinity, and whether they moderated the psychological distress–suicidal ideation relationship for men and women. The Conformity to Masculine Norms Inventory, the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, and the Suicidal Ideation Attributes Scale were administered to an Australian community sample in an online survey (n = 486). As predicted, higher psychological distress was associated with higher suicidal ideation. Self-reliance enhanced the relationship and was the only moderator among men. High self-reliance levels might be an important indicator of risk, which can be used when assessing and working with men who are hesitant to openly discuss suicidal ideation with clinicians. For female participants, higher endorsement of behavioral–emotional norms and lower conformity to social hierarchy status norms appear to increase suicide risk in the presence of psychological distress. Our findings suggest that high self-reliance is of particular concern for men experiencing psychological distress. It is also important to consider the roles of masculine norm endorsement in the psychological distress–suicidal ideation relationship among women.

Men's Depression, Externalizing, and DSM-5-TR: Primary Signs and Symptoms or Co-occurring Symptoms?

Men's Depression, Externalizing, and DSM-5-TR: Primary Signs and Symptoms or Co-occurring Symptoms?