Men's Sense Research Articles

Manly to the core: Measuring men's implicit masculine self-concept via the Semantic Misattribution Procedure

Masculine self-concept refers to a man's psychological sense of being male. In this study, we used the Semantic Misattribution Procedure to assess men's implicit masculine self-concept. As expected, implicit masculine self-concept was not associated with social desirability, but was positively associated with several gender-relevant outcomes, including conformity to masculine norms, endorsement of traditional masculinity ideology, hostile sexism, and benevolent sexism. We also found support for a mediation model in which explicit masculine self-concept mediated the impact of implicit masculine self-concept on these outcomes. These results provide evidence for the importance of implicit masculine self-concept when exploring gender-relevant outcomes.

Urban First Nations Men: Narratives of Positive Identity and Implications for Culturally Safe Care.

Dominant discourse contains negative stereotypical images of First Nations males that are steeped in colonialism. These racialized images can influence First Nations men's sense of self as well as the care that nurses deliver. The objective was to (a) explore practices that support positive First Nations identity and (b) provide suggestions for practicing culturally safe care. The theory of Two-Eyed Seeing guided this study. Data were collected via two semistructured interviews and Anishnaabe Symbol-Based Reflection from three First Nations men living in Toronto, Canada. Having mentors, knowing family histories, and connecting with healthy Aboriginal communities fostered positive First Nations identities for participants. There is potential to advance nursing practice by enacting creative means that may support client's positive First Nations identity and well-being. Nursing education that focuses on strength-based and decolonizing frameworks, as well as reflexive practices that promote culturally safe care, is needed.

LAND, HISTORY AND IMAGINATION, OR REMARKS ON THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE NEW PATRIOTISM

Article will address the issue of changes in national identity in Poland in the 20th and 21st centuries. Issue will be considered with the importance of territory in the sense of man’s national identity – this will apply to territories which became a part of the Polish state aft er World War II: in particular, the lower Silesia. Th e main problem will be, therefore, the presence in the common consciousness concepts describing nationality in relation to the category of territory. Area of empirical research will be artefacts of mass culture – and specifi cally Polish popular literature resulting in the mentioned time.

‘Signposts on the journey’; medication adherence and the lived body in men with Parkinson's disease

Adherence to medication has been identified as a key issue in the treatment of many chronic illnesses, however such a perspective fails to account for the lived experience of medication usage and its effects on the body as lived. Parkinson's Disease, a neurological disease predominantly affecting movement and mobility, and which is treated via a wide range of medications provides a useful opportunity to explore experiences of medication usage in chronic illness. Reporting on findings of a study exploring men's experience of living with Parkinson's Disease, this paper adopts a lived body perspective to explore lived experiences of medication usage and adherence in PD. Findings are reported from 30 narrative in depth interviews with 15 men of various ages living with Parkinson's disease of mild to severe intensity. Findings first discuss PD's effects on men's sense of the lived body, in which a fluctuating embodiment is linked to medication regimes and their bodily effects. Second, as PD disrupts the body's place with the everyday and habitual experience of lived time, medication regimens come to place new structures upon the men's everyday experience of time. Finally, the paper explores the role medications play in men's attempts to create and sustain narratives for the individual progression of their illness, and how these narratives differ from clinical narratives associated with PD's treatment. This paper concludes by discussing debates around adherence to medication within the treatment of PD and the need to consider lived experience of medication usage and their effects at the level of the lived body.

A Study of Aesthetic Minimally - Invasive Cosmetic Procedures Among College Going Students in Taiwan

In today's society, high level of significance is placed on external appearance. Historically, it is women that are stereotypically associated with being worried about their appearance. Nowadays, men too are increasingly more concerned about their body image. Recent studies (Featherstone, 1991a; Giddens, 1991; Gill, Henwood, and McLean, 2005) have indicated that perceptions of the body are important to men's sense of confidence. There are a wide variety of means to achieve the ideal body image, such as workout, healthy eating, and exercise. Body modification practices, such as cosmetic surgery, are becoming increasingly popular among men who want to look younger and more attractive. To build on this research, this paper investigated college students perspective on their appearance and attitude toward minimally-invasive cosmetic procedures via focus group discussions with male college students in Southern Taiwan. Data are discussed in relation to contemporary constructions of masculinity, body image, and identity. Findings suggest that consumer culture and a star celebrity from South Korea promotes an atmosphere that the body is malleable and should be enhanced. The influence of South Korean popular culture has spread across Asia. Music videos, soap operas and pop stars are now very popular in Taiwan, Singapore and other parts of Asia, which influence how people consider the ideal beauty and masculinity.

“Whenever Jack sees a condom, he falls asleep”: experiences of condom use and erectile disorder among HIV positive men in a Zimbabwean rural setting

In this qualitative inquiry, we set out to explore the experience of condom use and erectile disorder (ED) among men living with HIV in a rural district of Zimbabwe. Data on condom use related erectile disorder with antiretroviral (ART) medication were collected from a purposive sample of 18 men living with HIV and AIDS (age range 23–54 years). These data were supplemented with those from a convenience sample of 23 women living with HIV who self-identified as partners of men living with HIV and AIDS (age range 26–37 years). The data were thematically analyzed. Results suggest that men attributed their experiencing of erectile problems to two main explanations: use of condoms and ART medication. These men reported inconsistent use of condoms and/or adherance to ART therapy due to a belief that these cause their ED. The women informants reported similar observations, including the shared gendered perspective that the men perceived a loss of sense of manhood from ED. Beliefs that influence health promotion with men living with HIV and AIDS are important to public health interventions with them.

Analysis of Archetypal Character Jim Casy in The Grapes of Wrath

The primary concern of the present thesis is with the archetypal qualities of The Grapes of Wrath. John Steinbeck constantly uses references and allusions from Greek mythology and Bible. According to Northrop Frye's definition of archetype, there exist archetypal characters. The major character of The Grapes of Wrath is Jim Casy who lead the Joads and other people to probe the new land. It is obvious enough that Jim Casy is a notable Christ figure in this novel. His Christ-like prophet function is verified in quite a few ways. He is clearly a modern Christ figure, and he fulfills this identity through both his words and actions. The new messiah arrives in a rich context of tradition Christian symbology, and his messages, like that of Christ, are one that considerably broadens man's sense of spiritual community.

Impact of HIV on and the constructions of masculinities among HIV-positive men in South Africa: implications for secondary prevention programs

Background To date, whilst there have been many published studies exploring the links between masculinity and HIV, not much work has been done to explore how an HIV-positive diagnosis impacts men's sense of masculinity and contextualizing the masculinities as fluid and changing. Objective To explore how human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) impacts the lives of men and their constructions of masculinity through interviews with 18 men living with HIV. Design Qualitative study involving conveniently and purposively selected black South African adult men who lived with HIV. In-depth interviews were conducted with 18 men who resided in Johannesburg and Mthatha, South Africa. Results Our analysis suggests that the performance of risky masculinity may influence the acquisition of HIV. Yet, it also reveals that HIV can have a significant effect on men and their masculinities. Men's constructions of harmful notions of hegemonic masculinity pre-HIV diagnosis negatively affected their help-seeking behavior and coping and adjustment to living with HIV, post-diagnosis. The dominant discourse that men are strong and healthy visibly presented challenges for men when faced with an HIV-positive status. They interpreted HIV diagnosis as a loss, a sign of failure as a man, and evidence of an inability to retain control. Being sick undermined their ability to perform roles expected of them, and this led to feelings of powerlessness, worthlessness, and distress. Conclusions Interventions with men living with HIV need to provide safe spaces for men to critically explore gender and constructions of social identities and the pressures these place on men and implications for their health. With this approach, harmful constructions of masculinities may be challenged and mitigated, and this process may render men amenable to change.

Desire under the Elms

Desire under the Elms

Anything women can do men can do better: An experiment examining the effects of stereotype threat on political knowledge and efficacy

Negative stereotypes have been shown to create cognitive burdens that decrease intellectual performance in a number of tasks such as math and standardized tests. Applying a multidisciplinary approach and an experimental research design, this paper examines the effect of stereotype threat on political knowledge and political efficacy. A sample of 226 undergraduate students completed an online survey on political knowledge and efficacy. Participants were randomly assigned to a stereotype threat condition or a non-threat condition. Contrary to what was hypothesized, stereotype threat does not explain the political knowledge gap between men and women; men score significantly higher than women in both conditions. However, preliminary evidence suggests the presence of stereotype lift in men's sense of political efficacy. Men's political efficacy demonstrates a moderate increase in the stereotype threat condition while women's sense of efficacy does not change (d=.53).

The correlation analysis between social support and subjective well-being of Zhuang elder people in rural area

Objective To explore the correlation between social support and subjective well-being of Zhuang elder people in rural area. Methods 320 Zhuang nationnality rural old man were randomly selected from the xiangxian town, the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.Left behind elderly among them (A group) was 160, non left behind elderly (B group) was 80, five elderly (C group) was 80.General access volume, Memorial University of Newfoundland scale of happiness (MUNSH) and social support rating scale (SSRS) were investigated. Results Memorial University of Newfoundland scale of happiness scores of A, B, C groups were (27.90±10.61, 35.11±9.92, 31.67±12.07), and the difference was statistically significant (F=11.45, P<0.05). SSRS scores of A, B, C groups were (34.91±8.13, 39.53±6.95, 30.31±7.62), the difference was statistically significant (F=26.53, P<0.05). A, B group's happiness score and objective support was positively correlated (r=0.20, 0.25; P<0.05), A, B, C group's happiness score is positively correlated with subjective support (r=0.17, 0.36, 0.31; P<0.05), happiness score and utilization degree positive correlation in A, C groups(r=0.23, 0.39; P<0.05). Conclusion Zhuang rural elderly subjective well-being is associated with each dimension of social support, and strengthen social support helps to improve the old man's subjective sense of happiness. Key words: Zhuang; Elder; Subjective well-being; Social support

Giovanni Paolo II e l’Europa

John Paul II and Europe &#x0D; In his article entitled ‘Una frontiera per l’Europa: dove?’ (The boundary of Europe: where is it located?), published in Vita e Pensiero (October 1978), a monthly periodical disseminated by the Catholic University in Milan, Cardinal Karol Wojtyła presented the significance of such concepts and ideas as Europe, being a European, Europeaness, the West and the East. These concepts were a fruit of a longer period of reflection which was born in a culture that was almost unknown for Western Europe until then. This essay constituted a sort of a basis of a richer and more multi-faceted concept which began to emerge in the first months of the long pontificate in the religious, cultural and political perspective. John Paul II’s ideas concerning Europe derived from other cultural roots than the ones of his predecessors in the seat of the Holy See who had a Western European background. These ideas originated from the experience of a son of one of the nations that were persecuted in Central-Eastern Europe who referred to the right of joint creation of Europe and presence in Europe. Such rights could not be rejected by history. The promotion of the importance of Slavic peoples and their Christian experiences constitutes a key element of the entire political project of Pope John Paul II whose final goal was to unite the European continent. By anticipating the political and institutional changes of 1989, this vision aimed to prepare the nations of Central-Eastern Europe for these changes, and eventually it proved victorious. John Paul II’s concept of Europe was equally cultural as it was political. The thought and the awareness of the Church concerning Europe became enriched in an unprecedented way thanks to the Pope’s versatile magisterium. We may say that John Paul II had his own project of Europe. Thanks to the groundbreaking events in international politics, which were brought about himself to a large extent, the late Pope could live till the day that his ideas were at least partly realized.To sum up, the main points of John Paul II’s thinking concerning Europe included the following issues:– the division of Europe into a western and eastern part, which emerged after the Second World War and which also entailed the division of Germany into two parts, eliminated in a sense the peculiar character of Central Europe (Mitteleuropa) from the common public space of the continent; – the identification of the geographical boundary of Europe not only in the western, northern and southern parts, but also in the eastern part, is unarguable: the boundary runs along the Ural mountain range; – “the eastern variant” of Europeaness runs along the Ural to the Caspian Sea and along the Caucasus to the Black Sea; in the psychological and ethical sense, the Eastern boundary of Europe is above all the boundary of the pen-etration of the Gospel; then it is the boundary of the invasions coming from the heart of Asia, whose aim was to subjugate the European nations which had a well-developed cultural and political profile; – language, culture and history allow us to define the human and spiritual boundaries between countries; the term “European” has many meanings and it allows us to derive various concepts due to the existence of two religious and cultural centres in the past (Rome and Constantinople) and the Greek influence. Moreover, the migration of non -Christian peoples and historical events concerning also the Nordic peoples, also play a role. The factor which eventually defines the concept of Europeaness is making reference to the sense of man’s existence, to human dignity which is based on the Gospel. In one of his last documents concerning Europe – the post-synodal Apostolic adhortation “Ecclesia in Europa”, published on 28 June 2003, John Paul II clearly emphasized the necessity of the “evangelization of the culture” of contemporary Europe, but he also considered the existing reality which required a substantial critical confrontation with the current cultural situation of Europe.

Are the four Baconian idols still alive in demography?

Summary In this paper, we examine the four Idols that beset human minds according to Francis Bacon’s Novum Organum (1620). These are: Idols of the Tribe – false assertions resulting from the belief that «the sense of man is the measure of things»; Idols of the Cave – peculiar to the individual people; Idols of the Market Place – resulting from «the intercourse and association of men with each other», and Idols of the Theatre – stemming from «dogmas of philosophies and… wrong laws of demonstration». We aim to see if these Idols are still alive in contemporary population sciences, and look at several examples from the fringes of demography – behaviour genetics, postmodern theory, hereditarianism, and modern hermeneutics. The ana

Prevalance of Superstitious Beliefs and Evil Spirits in Shimla

The People of Shimla Hills have a typical Pahari culture where the inner religious sense of man is tinged with omens, beliefs in superstitions etc.. The present paper is an anthropological approach to the basic social psychology of the people in Shimla Hills. It is designed to explore the belief system prevalent in Shimla Hills. In particular, prevalence of beliefs regarding superstition, dreams, evil spirits are studied along with other supernatural aspects. Generally the concept of supernatural refers to something unusual and extraordinary. One might not scientifically prove incidences of supernatural, however, it does not imply these experiences are impossible.

How is masculinity related to body image? A cross-cultural investigation

Research indicates a relationship between masculinity and body image and highlights the importance of muscularity in young men's sense of masculinity. However, cross-cultural differences in these relationships have not been explored. We examined how conformity to masculine norms relates to attitudes toward muscularity, leanness, and thinness in men from Sweden, US, UK, and Australia and whether internalization of the muscular ideal mediated these relationships.

Transient Heritage

Transient Heritage Jeanne M. Lambin (bio) One of the oldest, continuously cultivated terraced landscapes in the world, Honghe Rice Terraces in Yunnan, China, is a sight that inspires awe. It is an exquisitely wrought world made by hand which has endured for 1200 years. In June it was inscribed on the World Heritage list as a cultural landscape, marking the culmination of a ten-year process aimed at tapping the tourist potential of the region. In the lightning fast world of China, more change has probably occurred in this area in the past five years than in the past forty. It is hard to imagine how this living landscape will survive for another century, much less millennia. The challenge is not unique to the site, the region, or even China. Although there is much discussion about the benefits and challenges with World Heritage designation, arguably, the real problem is not with listing, but the increasingly perilous, ever-changing world in which heritage must exist. Click for larger view View full resolution Cultivated over the past 1,300 years, the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces in China, are one of the oldest continuously cultivated terraced landscapes in the world. PHOTO: JEANNE LAMBIN Change, as the saying goes, is inevitable. The pace of change however is variable. In 1970, Alvin Toffler's book, Future Shock, was published and became a best seller. In it, Toffler lamented the "death of permanence," describing change as "avalanching upon our heads and [that] most people are grotesquely unprepared to cope with it." The result? Future Shock: "a time phenomenon, a product of the greatly accelerated rate of change in society. [End Page 54] It arises from the superimposition of a new culture on an old one. It is culture shock in one's own society." While some of the predictions were off base (we do not live in underwater cities—yet), much of it, especially when dealing with the break with the past, transient populations, and a throwaway society (even extending to the built environment), was spot on. Toffler wrote, "the shift toward transience is even manifest in architecture—precisely that part of the physical environment that in the past contributed mostly heavily to man's sense of permanence... we raze landmarks. We tear down whole streets and cities and put new ones up at a mind-numbing rate." Transience was to the 20th century, what fire was to the 19th. Important parts of our collective past were being crumpled up and thrown away. Globally there was an emerging interest in heritage conservation. "Establishing an Effective System of Collective Protection" On November 16, 1972, "Noting that the cultural heritage and the natural heritage are increasingly threatened with destruction, not only by the traditional causes of decay, but also by changing social and economic conditions which aggravate the situation with even more formidable phenomenon of damage or destruction" and that the "deterioration or disappearance of any item of the cultural or natural heritage constitutes a harmful impoverishment of the heritage of all the nations of the world," the United Nations National Scientific and Education Committee Organization (UNESCO) adopted the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. What came to be known as "the Convention" recognized that "parts of the cultural or natural heritage are of outstanding interest and therefore need to be preserved as part of the world heritage of mankind as a whole." To that end the Convention was ratified in 1975, the Committee established in 1976, and the first sites inscribed in 1978. From that initial list of a dozen properties, the list has mushroomed to 981 properties with 190 States Parties (or signatories) adhering to the Convention. While there is much debate over its [End Page 55] effectiveness, if sheer numbers are a metric of "success," then the Convention has been a great one. Over the years, as the list expanded and evolved, so too has the understanding of heritage, management policies, stewardship, and local participation. Oddly, it could be argued that the success of the Convention in terms of the number of listings is as much a testament to the perniciousness of the threats that led to its initial creation...

Male Role Norms Inventory–Short Form (MRNI-SF): Development, confirmatory factor analytic investigation of structure, and measurement invariance across gender.

The current study reports the development from the Male Role Norms Inventory-Revised (MRNI-R; Levant, Rankin, Williams, Hasan, & Smalley, 2010) of the 21-item MRNI-Short Form (MRNI-SF). Confirmatory factor analysis of MRNI-SF responses from a sample of 1,017 undergraduate participants (549 men, 468 women) indicated that the best fitting "bifactor" model incorporated the hypothesized 7-factor structure while explicitly modeling an additional, general traditional masculinity ideology factor. Specifically, each item-level indicator loaded on 2 factors: a general traditional masculinity ideology factor and a specific factor corresponding to 1 of the 7 hypothesized traditional masculinity ideology norms. The bifactor model was assessed for measurement invariance across gender groups, with findings of full configural invariance and partial metric invariance, such that factor loadings were equivalent across the gender groups for the 7 specific factors but not for the general traditional masculinity ideology factor. Theoretical explanations for this latter result include the potential that men's sense of self or identity may be engaged when responding to questions asking to what extent they agree or disagree with normative statements about their behavior, a possibility that could be investigated in future research by examining the associations of the general and specific factors with measures of masculine identity. Additional exploratory invariance analyses demonstrated latent mean differences between men and women on 4 of the 8 factors, and equivocal results for invariance of item intercepts, item uniquenesses, and factor variances-covariances.

In the Middle and on the Sideline

Spouses play an important role in how well patients with prostate cancer manage their illness. Whereas earlier studies mostly included both patients and spouses, this study focuses on the spouses' experiences during the course of the illness. The objective of this study was to explore how the daily life of female spouses is affected by their husband's prostate cancer. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 9 spouses of men receiving potential curative treatment for prostate cancer. Prostate cancer in men had significant impact on spouses' everyday life. The results showed that spouses strived to achieve a balance between focusing on their own needs and meeting their husbands' needs along the course of the illness. Four themes emerged: strong and optimistic versus vulnerable and overstrained, maintaining the partner's sense of manhood, being on the sideline, and the need for relationships outside the immediate family. Being a spouse to a man with prostate cancer is emotionally and practically demanding. There is a danger of the spouses suppressing their own needs in the process of supporting their husbands. Those spouses living in the situation over a period of years expressed fatigue and a shift in focus from their husbands' needs to their own needs for support. Healthcare providers should provide support for spouses during the course of the illness, encourage spouses to participate in seminars for couples living with prostate cancer, and be aware of the potential for situational fatigue in spouses many years after the diagnosis.

Yoga for the New Woman and the New Man: The Role of Pierre Bernard and Blanche DeVries in the Creation of Modern Postural Yoga

AbstractPierre Bernard and his wife, Blanche DeVries, were among the earliest proponents of postural yoga in America. In 1924, they created the Clarkstown Country Club, where yoga was taught to affluent and influential clientele. The network created through this endeavor not only popularized yoga in the West but also advanced the reinvention of yoga as a science of health and well-being rather than as a religious practice.This article suggests that the pair's success in marketing yoga coincided with a shift in gender roles underway at the turn of the century. Economic and cultural changes led to the rise of a “New Woman” who was not only more financially independent but also more socially and sexually autonomous. At the same time, a crisis of masculinity led to the rise of the “New Man” as men sought out new cultural forms through which to restore their sense of manhood. Bernard's success depended largely on his ability to capitalize on the perceived “otherness” of yoga, presenting it as a resource for Americans seeking to construct new forms of gender identity. Bernard borrowed from the physical culture movement and presented yoga as an antidote to the emasculating effects of modern society. DeVries taught a combination of yoga and sensual Orientalist dances that offered women a form of sexual autonomy and embodied empowerment. By utilizing these strategies, Bernard and DeVries helped lay important foundations for modern postural yoga and its associations with athleticism, physical beauty, and sexuality.

Chronic Pain Has a Negative Impact on Sexuality in Testis Cancer Survivors

Testis cancer is a disease that directly affects a man's sense of masculinity and involves treatments compromising sexual function. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of sexual dysfunction and the influence of chronic pain on sexuality in long-term testis cancer survivors. Thus, we examined 539 patients after they had one testis removed because of a testicular germ cell tumor. Having completed oncologic therapy, all patients received a detailed questionnaire asking about the occurrence and clinical presentation of testis pain before and after orchiectomy. In addition, items from the abridged International Index of Erectile Function and Brief Sexual Function Inventory were used to gain precise information on individual sexual function. Overall, 34.5% of our testicular cancer survivors complained of reduced sexual desire, and sexual activity was reduced in 41.6%. Erectile dysfunction was present in up to 31.5% of patients. In 24.4%, the ability to maintain an erection during intercourse was impaired. Ejaculatory disorders (premature, delayed, retrograde, or anejaculation) occurred in 84.9% of our testis cancer survivors. A total of 32.4% of our participants experienced a reduced intensity of orgasm, and 95.4% experienced reduced overall sexual satisfaction. There was a significant correlation between the occurrence of chronic pain symptoms and the relative frequency and intensity of erectile dysfunction, inability to maintain an erection, ejaculation disorders, and reduced intensity of orgasm. In conclusion, chronic pain has a negative impact on sexuality in testis cancer survivors.