Practices Of Men Research Articles

Constructing, Deconstructing or Abolishing? Discourses on Masculinities in Violence Against Women Prevention by Stakeholders in Spain.

In the field of violence against women (VAW) prevention, one of the current questions at stake is how to address men's role and masculinities, but it is still an emerging field in Spain. The aim of this study was to analyze the up-to-date discourses on masculinity among stakeholders in the field of VAW prevention and gender equity in Spain. We used a qualitative methodology with semi-structured interviews, conducted between October 2019 and February 2020 in Madrid and Alicante (Spain), with 23 key stakeholders from different areas: in governmental (public health and VAW prevention/intervention, and institutional and policy positioning) and nongovernmental organizations (anti-violence masculinities workers, youth education workers, and feminist and LGBT associations). A discourse analysis was performed with the data collected. Our findings showed that discourses around masculinities among Spanish stakeholders in VAW prevention and gender equity were diverse and presented different layers of critique. Despite a general agreement on the importance of transforming sexist men's practices toward more gender equitable relations, three main interpretive repertoires were identified: "Constructing positive/new masculinities" discourse, focused on promoting men's engagement and egalitarian practices; "Deconstructing hegemonic masculinity" discourse, intended to critically identify and question harmful masculinities norms; and "Abolishing gender" discourse, which aims at dismantling masculinity, and gender in general, as a social structure that generates oppression in itself, advocating for its abolition. Those interpretive repertoires were not mutually exclusive and sometimes stakeholders incorporate in their work more than one approach. The study findings shed light on this current emerging and urgent debate and contributes more broadly to the critical assessment of the concepts used and their implications for VAW prevention.

Navigating patterns of oral PrEP use: A qualitative longitudinal study of gay, bisexual, and queer men's dynamic practices of pausing, on-demand, and stopping PrEP in Canada

The Canadian HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) guidelines recommend both daily and on-demand dosing for gay, bisexual, and queer men (GBQM), meeting additional risk criteria. However, limited research explored how GBQM implement pausing, on-demand, discontinuation, and resumption of PrEP, including the contextual factors affecting decision-making. Using a relationally situated implementation science framework, we examined how GBQM tailor PrEP use to changing social and sexual circumstances. We conducted 109 longitudinal interviews with current and former PrEP users from Ontario (n = 18) and British Columbia (n = 20), Canada, at three time points between 2020 and 2022. We identified three dynamic PrEP use trajectories: pausing, on-demand, and stopping. Pausing involved brief breaks followed by a return to daily use during heightened sexual activity. Others followed the 2-1-1 on-demand schedule, while some stopped PrEP with plans to resume if social and sexual circumstances change. During the COVID-19 pandemic, participants paused PrEP when sexual activities decreased, restarting daily use when sexual engagements resumed. Others paused due to relationship changes or sexual inactivity, resuming PrEP in anticipation of sex. On-demand PrEP was adopted to manage side effects or save costs. Some stopped PrEP for sustained periods due to monogamy, private insurance loss, side effects, or low perceived HIV risk. Participants expressed concerns regarding lack of information on these strategies, relying on online sources or peers for guidance. Most participants obtained enough PrEP knowledge to adapt use appropriately. Comprehensive education campaigns on adaptable PrEP use effectiveness and strategies to discontinue and resume PrEP for clinicians and GBQM should be implemented.

Balancing Work, Life, and Care Responsibilities in Academia: The Male Perspective

Several studies have shown the impact of parenthood on academic careers and the existence of a motherhood penalty. However, fathers' experiences of reconciling caring responsibilities with academic work are less studied. The article explores the representations of fatherhood and men's reconciliation practices in Italian academia. The analysis is based on 64 semi-structured interviews with male associate professors and postdoc researchers in various Italian universities, working in STEM and SSH departments. The results indicate that, in the early stages of the academic career, men similarly to women tend to postpone parenthood or to "choose" not to have children. Those men who have children, instead, enact different models of fatherhood that we have called the ‘absent father', the ‘negotiator' and the ‘present father', without significant differences among disciplines or academic positions. However, only a minority of fathers are closely involved in childcare, and they experience penalties and work-related stress. The article gives insights into possible policies to support the work-life balance of the (still rare) involved academic fathers and to encourage the others to share care duties more equally with their partners.

Exploring Preventive Health Care Utilization Among Black/African American Men.

Black/African American (BAA) men have the lowest life expectancy among other major demographic groups in the United States, with BAA male mortality rates 40% higher than their White male counterparts. Despite known benefits of preventive health care utilization, BAA men are 43% more likely to use the emergency department for usual care. Many intersecting factors like medical mistrust and religion have been identified as common barriers BAA men face in health care utilization with few studies exploring factors that impact their current preventive health care utilization. In addition, BAA men's perceptions of health and ability to identify or seek help have always been disproportionately lower than other racial groups despite higher rates of preventable diseases. Using the tenets of the Andersen Healthcare Utilization Model, this cross-sectional study of 176 BAA men explores BAA men's current preventive health care practices while examining the intersection of predisposing, enabling, and need factors on BAA men's preventive health care utilization. While it is well known that higher income levels and higher education positively influence health care utilization, the intersection of religious affiliation and higher levels of medical mistrust was associated with BAA men's decreased engagement with health care as religion posed as a buffer to health care utilization. This study demonstrated that BAA men's perception of health differed by sexual orientation, educational status, and income. However, across all groups the participants' perspective of their health was not in alignment with their current health outcomes. Future studies should evaluate the impact of masculine norms as potential enabling factors on BAA men's preventive health care utilization.

Leisure practices of individuals on hemodialysis and the social determinants of health

ABSTRACT Hemodialysis treatment negatively change people’s daily lives, which can be minimized by improving the social determinants of health. This study aims to learn the leisure activities of individuals on hemodialysis and analyze the differences in the proportions of social determinants of health. This is a cross-sectional, census, analytical study with 1024 individuals on hemodialysis in a metropolitan region of southeastern Brazil. The most practiced domains of leisure are the idle and contemplative (41.7%), social (37.1%), and intellectual (32.5%). The population can be described as men (56.7%), aged between 30 and 59 years (51.6%), with less than eight years of schooling (51.6%), with an income of up to two minimum wages (56.2%). Men practice more physical activities (p < .001) and women tend to practice manual activities (p = .027). Lower education and lower income also indicate higher proportions of individuals not engaged in leisure. Understanding and acting on the social determinants of health would minimize health inequities, whereas expanding leisure practices would improve the well-being of people undergoing treatment.

Masculinity, poverty and body image among older men in Tanzania: connecting intersectionality and Bourdieu's theory of practice

Abstract Until now, the body image literature has largely ignored older men. In particular, little is known about how older men perceive and experience their ageing bodies, despite the importance of the body to men's practice of masculinity and their position within gendered hierarchies. Addressing this gap in the research, we conducted 15 in-depth interviews and ten focus group discussions (N = 60) with older men aged 60–82 years. Drawing upon the intersectionality approach and Bourdieu's theory of practice, we examined how older men with low socio-economic status give meaning to their ageing bodies in relation to ideals of masculinity. The findings suggest that body strength is vital capital for older men with low socio-economic status, and that changes in their bodies as they age affect their ability to actualise themselves as ‘real’ men and undermine their sense of masculinity. The inability to live up to masculine ideals left most of these men feeling inadequate and ashamed. The findings further reveal that stress caused by ageing bodies, exacerbated by older men's socio-economic conditions, constituted a threat to their survival and overall wellbeing. Interventions should take older men's perceptions of and adaptations to the ageing body into account. In addition, when designing interventions for older men, practitioners should consider the socio-economic and cultural context in which older men are embedded. Particularly important is a gender-transformative intervention that raises awareness of negative masculine norms.

The destabilising effect of feminist, queer-inclusion and therapeutic counter-discourse: A feminist poststructuralist account of change in men's friendships

Critically engaging with prevailing theories of change in masculinities, this article offers a feminist poststructuralist account of Australian men's increasingly intimate same-gender friendships. Per Beasley, feminist poststructuralists treat social change as a consequence of contestation between discourses. In line with this, I contend that the increasing influence of feminist, queer-inclusion and therapeutic counter-discourses in recent decades has destabilised (but not overridden) masculinist discourse in the context of men's friendships, offering men an alternative subject position that allows care, expressiveness and intimacy. Here, I define each of these counter-discourses, demonstrate how they challenge the discursive components of masculinism and use snippets of data from an intergenerational study of Australian men's friendships to illustrate how this shapes men's homosocial practices. Ultimately, I argue that by applying a feminist poststructuralist lens, scholars can examine how men navigate new and contentious discursive terrain, and better account for the complexity of social change in masculinities.

Men's Perspectives on Gender Relations in the Outdoor Education Field: Furthering the Case for a Hybrid Masculinity

Background: Scholarship has demonstrated the influence of hegemonic masculine norms on values and practices in outdoor adventure education. However, recent publications indicate that men outdoor leaders may be increasingly aware of gender biases and consequently changing their practice. To date, few publications have considered men outdoor leaders’ understanding of masculinity in the field and how it affects their practice and professional interactions. Purpose: This study critically examined multiple aspects of gender relations from men outdoor leaders’ perspectives to determine if observed changes in some men's practice signal changes toward a more equitable understanding of masculinity or merely a pivot to maintain the status quo. Methodology/Approach: A single-embedded case study methodology was employed. Interview, observation, and artifact data were collected from 18 men outdoor adventure education leaders across the United States and Canada. Findings/Conclusions: Participants noted awareness of gender inequity and articulated some strategies employed to combat sexism, particularly those associated with gendered student expectations. However, multiple participants also demonstrated gendered blind spots and supported gender hierarchy. Implications: Participants’ demonstrated awareness of gender issues, but the considerable blind spots identified in the data indicate a troubling lack of critical self-reflection and provide support for dominant hybrid masculinity.

The Practice of Men and the Enactments of Emperors: Dynamics of Change in the Mechanics of Testaments

This paper analyses the historical accuracy of a statement made in Justinian's Institutes about the development of the late-antique tripartite will, and finds that the enactments of emperors are given too much credit, and the practice of men too little. The paper follows the chronologically uneven and geographically disparate ways in which writing came to be used in wills, and notes the ways in which the problems writing could pose were systematically ignored by imperial enactments until very late.

Caring masculinities at work in later life: Exploring relational care work in retirement

AbstractThe paper reports on research that investigates older men's care practices and how their caring for others opens new ways of exploring the intersections of aging, gender, and care work. Using the concept caring masculinities as a sensitizing concept, the onus is on exploring patterns of power, interdependence, and relationality within men's care practices. Aging masculinities often remain constructed around paid‐for occupational work (in opposition to unpaid care work) despite the transition into retirement. Little work exists on how caring is at work in later life potentially transforming gender relations and enacted masculinities. Moreover, much of the research on aging masculinities have not considered the expansiveness of retirement and the discourses as well as subjective expectations around the activity in later life that create an uncertain terrain of socioculturally structured mandates to be navigated. This paper draws on data from two qualitative interview studies conducted with retired men in England and Germany, in which the role of caregiving emerged as an inductive theme in their narratives. The paper makes a specific contribution to developing empirical and theoretical knowledge of caring masculinities and power relations by providing insights on men's trajectories into caring, and how they make sense of their caring for and about others.

МАЛЕНЬКІ ЖІНКИ У ВЕЛИКІЙ АРХІТЕКТУРІ

The history of architecture knows a lot of man’s names. It’s not surprising, even though most of the history of worldly professions was occupied by the people themselves, but women didn’t have the right to take away the space and introduce such contagious places for us, like theaters, musical comedy and other kinds of controversy. The article bears the knowledge of the nature and reveals the role of women in the architecture of the New World, tells about historical turns that redevelop the development in this sphere. A gendered approach is first traced to Jane Jacobs' book The Death and Life of Great American Cities, where she criticizes modernist urban planners for cultivating «male experience» or «male ways of life» while disassociating vital functions of the city. In contrast to men's daily practices, the traditional «women's experience» in public spheres includes a significant share of the private sphere: housekeeping, shopping, raising children, caring for the elderly and the sick. Today, the situation in the world favors gender equality, at least when it comes to choosing professions and positions. At the Faculty of Architecture, more girls are entering universities all over the world. However, the way their career develops afterwards is alarming. It is difficult for a woman to combine her personal life and work as an architect, so few manage to apply the knowledge gained at the university in practice. This is also confirmed by the figures of the Federal Chamber of Architects (Bundesarchitektenkammer): in 2016, the share of female architects in the field of construction and freelance employees was approximately one fifth. Among city planners, the share of women is only nine percent. Since the 20th century, small women have taken a big step in the contribution of world architecture, confidently moving forward according to new world trends.

Caring masculinities among working‐class men in blue‐collar occupations in the UK: Understanding biographies of care

AbstractResearch considering men, boys, and the concept of caring masculinities has proliferated in the last five years, although attention has predominantly been given to privileged men's practices of care in the private realm. In this article, we explore caring masculinities among working‐class men in the United Kingdom employed in blue‐collar work, highlighting the possibilities for transformation and change stemming from men in the margins. Drawing on narrative biographical interviews, we analyze in‐depth case studies from two men. Their biographies illustrate practices and an ethos of care interwoven throughout both paid‐work and other aspects of their lives, drawing attention to how caring dispositions are formed through histories of care throughout the lifecourse for working‐class men. We also consider how care can circulate in workplaces that have been considered “low on care”, and how these men draw on working‐class values of care and solidarity to challenge logics of capital at work.

Young men’s gambling and violence perpetration in Mwanza, Tanzania

Abstract Background The prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) in Tanzania is one of the highest in the sub-Saharan African region. Studies have shown that traditionally “manly” behaviours, such as risk-taking, are at the root of IPV perpetration. Only few studies investigated the co-occurrence of gambling and IPV, and none from LMICs. Methods Cross-sectional survey data of 1002 men aged 18-24 from Mwanza, Tanzania were analysed. Physical, sexual, emotional and economic IPV perpetration were measured using acts-based questions. Gambling was assessed through a question on whether the man bet or spent money on gambling or gambling machines. Consequences of gambling behaviours were assessed through four further questions. We conducted multivariate logistic regressions to control for potential confounders. Results 21% of the men in the sample confirmed they had bet or spent money on gambling in the previous 12 months; the prevalence raises to 24% for men who had been in a relationship in the previous 12 months (N = 755). Of these, 23% had ever perpetrated physical IPV, 29% sexual IPV, 56% emotional IPV and 37% economic IPV in their lifetimes. Of those who gambled, 24% had ever perpetrated physical IPV, 46% ever committed sexual IPV, 66% emotional IPV and 45% economic IPV. Gambling was statistically significantly associated sexual IPV (aOR: 2.39; 95% CI: 1.66-3.45) and emotional IPV (aOR: 1.48; 95% CI: 1.03-2.14) even after controlling for age, alcohol use, depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation. Gambling was not associated with physical and economic IPV after adjusting for those confounders. Implications The analysis shows that young men's practice of gambling is an additional risk factor for IPV perpetration that needs to be addressed. More research is needed to understand how current prevention efforts can be expanded to include problem gambling treatment to curb the incidence of IPV and give couples conflict resolutions skills for issues that might arise from gambling. Key messages • Problem gambling has so far remained vastly under-researched in violence research. • Gambling as well as drinking were associated with increased odds of physical and sexual IPV perpetration.

Networking practices and gender inequities in academic medicine: Women's and men's perspectives.

SummaryBackgroundStudies of gender inequities in academic medicine suggest the negative impact of men's networking practices, but little is known about how they shape faculty experiences.MethodsIn this qualitative study, in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 52 women and 52 men academic medicine faculty members at 16 institutions across the US in 2019. Interviews explored participants’ experiences and perceptions of gender inequities in academic medicine, including perceptions of men's networking practices. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim, and transcripts were analyzed using a mixture of deductively and inductively generated codes.FindingsQualitative analysis of interview transcripts identified different dominant themes: (1) Women were often excluded from networking activities dominated by men, (2) Both women and men referred to men's networking practices in academic medicine, and believed they conferred benefits to members and excluded non-members from such benefits, (3) Participation in such networking activities yielded professional advantages, (4) Women made efforts to counteract their exclusion yet identified limits of those efforts.InterpretationThe data suggests that gender inequities in academic medicine might be associated with professional interactions that occur outside of the scope of professional work practices and in formal work sites. Additional research is needed to better understand practices such as informal networking activities and their impact in order to promote gender equity.

Assessment of the knowledge and practice toward male's participation during their wives' prenatal and postnatal care at King Saudi Medical City, Riyadh: KSA.

Access to skilled health care services during pregnancy, childbirth, and postnatal period for obstetric care is one of the strongest determinants of maternal and newborn health outcomes. The main objective of the present study is to assess the knowledge and practice toward male's participation during their wives' prenatal and postnatal care at King Saud Medical City. We conducted a single center, a quantitative, cross-sectional study based on a personal-interviewed structured questionnaire in 2019 adopting a stratified random sampling technique. Married men above 18 years with at least one child were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. The knowledge level was positive and moderately correlated with the practice on prenatal and postnatal care r = +0.641(P = 0.000) and was statistically significant. There was a significant difference between pregnancy intention and level of education (P = 0.000). The score of knowledge and practice increased with the increase in the number of children. Socioeconomic factor was the major determinant for men's knowledge and practice in maternal and newborn health services. In the future, studies with a large sample size are required to increase men's awareness regarding MNH issues, but should not be limited to this.

Performing Catholic Masculinity in Early Twentieth‐Century Spain: The International Eucharistic Congress of Madrid (1911)*

This article seeks to establish a new perspective for the understanding of Catholic masculinity by relating men's devotional practices to urban space, to the development of mass culture and politics, and to the development of modern international Catholic spiritual trends. The study of men's piety in the International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) questions the clear‐cut dichotomies with which some historians still tend to approach the study of religion, gender, and modernity. Men's presence in public and urban space has traditionally been studied from the perspective of their role as citizens participating in modern types of homosocial gatherings, protests, and political meetings. This view has tended to overlook other forms of social action, particularly new forms of “devotional activism.” Firmly rooted in the wider Catholic revival movement, all‐male processions are an interesting example of these “reinvented” forms of institutionalized piety with which the Hierarchy and Holy See hoped to reinforce Catholicism's presence in the public and urban spheres, as well as in the masculine universe. The first part of the article explains our specific hermeneutic perspective, in particular with relation to establishing a reconsideration of religion's relationship to urban space. The second part analyses the all‐male procession in the IEC of Madrid (1911).

THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF MASCULINITY ON NEW MEDIA: EKSI SOZLUK AND INTERPRETATIVE REPERTOIRES

In this article, the entries about “being a man” on Ekşi Sözlük are analysed through the Critical Discursive Psychology approach. The extracts were analysed with the Critical Discursive Psychology approach and interpretative repertoires were revealed. As a result of the analysis, 6 different interpretative repertoires were obtained. In the first of these, “The ‘essence’ and ‘other’ inside the man” repertoire, being a man is explained based on the "natural-given" differences. In the "preoccupation with sexuality" repertoire, sexuality is positioned in the most central area of men's lives. In the "responsibilities and obligations" repertoire, being a man is defined by a number of responsibilities expected from men by society. In the "patriarchal system and the mother's son" repertoire, it is stated that men's behavioral practices are determined by the patriarchal system and this is supported and maintained by mothers. In the "car, football, repairs: masculine performance" repertoire, it is stated that certain masculine activities serve as the criteria for being a man. Finally, the meaning in the "woman versus masculinity" repertoire, being a man is defined over the oppositions established with women. Keywords Masculinity, critical discursive psychology, interpretative repertoires, new media

The spiritual rituals and the faiths present in the Aaruppadai Literatures

The intellectual capacity of a society can be measured by its beliefs. From the birth to death of man, people have a variety of beliefs. Most of the Ancient Tamils believed in God. It was the root cause of man's practice of worship. It is the faith of God. The intellectual capacity of a society can be measured by its beliefs. The purpose of this article is to state that the ancient people sat in the river army literature, where the deity of the ancient people had beliefs in climbing, Paliyiṭuthal, Nadukal valipadu, screaming, ghost and goblin beliefs.

Attitude and Participation of Men Regarding Prenatal Care, Childbirth, and Postpartum Care in Kashan City, Iran

Background:Men's involvement in perinatal care has benefits including reduced preterm childbirth, and better development of children. This study was conducted with the aim to determine the attitude and participation of men in prenatal, childbirth, and postpartum care.Materials and Methods:This cross-sectional study was performed on 280 men in industrial units in Kashan city, Iran (November 2014–March 2015). The participants were selected using cluster sampling method. They completed a researcher-made three-part questionnaire. The data were analyzed using independent-samples t test and analysis of variance (ANOVA).Results:The mean (SD) score of men's attitude and practice regarding perinatal care were 40.12 (5.00) and 61.65 (6.87), respectively. A significant difference was observed between the practice of men with different education levels (F2,75 = 3.63, p = 0.001).Conclusions:The participation of men in perinatal care was low. It is recommended that healthcare providers make visits in the presence of husbands and simultaneously provide training for the couples during the perinatal period.

Chemgen Study: Assessing the Consumption of Care in General Practice of Men with Sexual Relationships with Men Users of Psychoactive Products in a Sexual Context

Chemgen Study: Assessing the Consumption of Care in General Practice of Men with Sexual Relationships with Men Users of Psychoactive Products in a Sexual Context