Masculinity and Health

I couldn’t go the whole semester without talking about the relationship between masculinity and health. This past summer, I took “Men, Masculinities, and Health” (SYO4424)– which I highly recommend taking, by the way. I found it so interesting, it led me to taking Theories of Masculinities. I’m also taking Research Methods this semester and decided to base my research on the ways that stereotypes about masculinities affect men’s health.

I’ve done a lot of research on the subject and there’s way too much to include in one blog post, so I suggest that you at least read this article from The New York Times that gives you the highlights. 

As most of us know, men die earlier in life than women do. But they also are more likely to suffer from a chronic condition and are 2-18 times (varying by age) more likely to die from suicide. Sure, there are some biological reasons for this, but people seem to neglect the societal factors. 

Because men are taught from an early age to be independent, unemotional, and to not ask for help, men are less likely to get routine physical exam or seek mental health care, even when they are struggling. Research shows that married men are more likely to seek medical care sooner because they have a partner that encourages them to do so.

Men are also more likely to engage in poor coping strategies when they’re stressed like drinking or smoking, which is another reason for the gender gap in health.

I could go on about this forever, but I encourage you to look more into this, as the research is astounding.