Be+a+real+man!

Name: Laura Perryer Student Number: N8333602 Tutor: Jey Rodgers




 * //__The artifact__//**

I came across this artifact when scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed and it immediately grabbed my attention. What fascinated me was this concept of ‘being a real man’ and I wondered does it really reflect societies perception of men and what we consider ‘masculine’. Chuck Norris is certainly a well know representation of masculinity. But is this representation accurate? Throughout my research for this unit and for the resent drum presentations, I have continued to find a link between masculinity and men's health. Today I will be discussing this link, drawing on information from literary reviews, Australian statistics and social theories to determine whether masculinity has a detrimental effect on the health of Australian men.

__**//Public health issues//**__

Society’s perception of masculinity and what traits are considered manly can greatly contribute to men’s health. According to Burns, Mahalik and Syzdek, statistics suggest that the most common explanation for the higher rates of illness and death is that men simply have less healthy lifestyles. Socially constructed gender roles encourage men to put their health at risk. For example, a man who believes masculinity is represented through risk-taking would be more obliged to engage in smoking, drinking or refusing to wear a seat-belt. A man who believes masculinity is represented by putting work ahead of all other responsibilities may not find the time to care for himself. And finally, a man who believes masculinity is represented by being self-reliant may never seek help from a doctor when sick (Burns et al., 2007).


 * //__Literature review__//**

From infancy to old age, women are simply healthier than men. Out of the leading 15 causes of death, men lead women in all except for Alzheimers, and that’s only because generally, men don’t live long enough to develop it. Now, when discussing ‘men’ throughout this wiki, I am referring to cisgender men, ie, those who are designated male at birth due to specific genital organs (their sex) who live and represent as a man (their gender) (AIHW, 2011). Mens health risks are shaped in part by social norms and cultural expectations of masculinity. Now, while many reasons are partly biological, the approach men take to their health plays a vital role. Editor in chief of the American journal of Mens health, Demetrius Porche, stated that ‘males put their health last. Men go to the doctor less and are more likely to have a serious condition when they do go because they tend to hold off’.

It has become common knowledge that men are more reluctant to seek help for medical concerns than women. There has been a significant increase in the interest of men’s health, with a major focus on the apparent reluctance of men to seek professional medical help. These ideals more often than not have been aligned to hegemonic constructions of masculinity and this idea of ‘being a man’ (Smith, 2007). Hegemonic masculinity has been described as //‘the gender practice which guarantees the dominant social position of men and the subordinate social position of women’//. Perhaps the most successful representation of hegemonic masculinity in Australia is the ‘typical aussie bloke’ who is strong, stoic, unemotional, heterosexual, loves to drink, isn’t keen on housework and is interested in sports (Carroll, 2013). Take the character ‘Mick’ from the fictional movie ‘Crocodile Dundee’. For many years this character was stereotyped around the globe as the typical Australian male and many cultures believed that all Australian were like Mick.



There have been numerous studies that have investigated the differing ways in which men and women respond to health issues and the health risks they are willing to take. According to the Australian Institute on Health and Welfare (AIHW), there is increasing evidence that men experience poorer health outcomes than woman in many areas of health. This is illustrated by the higher rates of injury, illness and mortality, the different ways in which men respond to health issues, and how men use health services (AIHW, 2011).

An article written by DeVisser, McDonnell and Smith from the Journal for Health Psychology states that many young men aspire to engage in hegemonic masculinity where traits such as physical and emotional strength, predatory heterosexuality, being a breadwinner, and risk taking are key to ‘being a man’. Although hegemonic masculinity tends to be associated with unhealthy lifestyles factors and behaviours, it can also provide health benefits in regards to participation in sporting activities among men of all ages. The article focuses on issues such as physical prowess, lack of vanity, sexuality, and alcohol use as leading symbols of masculinity in Australia. Sports and traditional masculine occupations require physical strength, and so muscular physique has become a common symbol of masculinity. This ties in to vanity, where men have to walk a fine line between wanting to appear masculine and in doing so have to look after their body and yet not wanting to appear too concerned about their appearance. in regards to alcohol consumption, among young men, being able to ‘hold ones drink’ is a very important masculine trait. When one is not able to handle his alcohol, he gets labeled as a ‘pussy’ or a ‘wuss’. (DeVisser et al., 2007). All of these factors reinforce the idea of hegemonic masculinity, contributing to men’s health behaviours.

Based on data collected by the AIHW’s National Health Survey in 2007:
 * 54% of the Australian male population did not usually consume fruit
 * 90% didn’t consume sufficient amounts of vegetables.
 * 28% of men participated in recreational sport, with the highest participation rates being among those aged 15-17 years old

Perhaps these issues contribute to the obesity issue that is challenging the Australian population. In 2008:
 * 42% of the adult male population was overweight according to body weight index measurements
 * A further 26% of the population was considered obese

Also notable is the link between masculinity and depression. A study by Roberston, Roy and Ogrodniczuk found that:
 * Participants believed depression to be a ‘female illness’, from which ‘strong, silent, action oriented men’ should never suffer
 * If they did suffer from depression they felt their masculinity would be compromised
 * Participants believed that they needed, for cultural and other reasons, to work hard to hide their depression from external scrutiny
 * That depression was a signifier of personal failure
 * Participants believed that like cancer, depression was something that they needed to fight, predominantly on their own, thereby repositioning the malady within acceptably masculinist parameters


 * //Cultural and social analysis//**

Perhaps this all links back into the common theme of men are higher risk takers than women. They are less worried about their health, preferring to focus on being manly and masculine, which all intertwines with the idea of hegemonic masculinity. Worrying about simple health issues such as these is not considered masculine, and so many men prefer to ignore health issues. This leads to more negative outcomes in the long run, and numerous literary works have aimed to change this socially constructed perception of masculinity that seems to be innately implanted in our minds.

Social perceptions of masculinity vary across cultures and across generations. What was considered manly in the 1950s is vastly different to how manliness is perceived in today’s society. So let’s stop and think for a second about what social groups could be affected by society’s perception of masculinity. The most obvious answer is heterosexual men themselves. These men face social ridicule if they do not behave and act in a way society considers ‘normal’. If heterosexual men face these kinds of issues, imagine the issues the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Intersex and Transgender (LGBIT) population face every day in regards to gender stereotypes. Struggles with regards to masculinity, femininity, identity and sexuality all arise from this issue of gender stereotyping.



The assumption that everyone identifies as the sex or gender they were designated at birth can become problematic. Not everyone who is designated male will identify as a man. Gender is a social construction, and so those designated male at birth, according to society, should act a certain way. For example, as previously mentioned, in Australia men should be strong, stoic, unemotional, have little expression of emotion, should be heterosexual, shouldn’t be keen on housework, must love sport, and drink alcohol, particularly beer.


 * //Analysis of the artifact//**

As I mentioned previously, this artifact immediately grabbed my attention. I was intrigued by this concept of 'being a real man' and it most definitely linked with my drum panel presentation in regards to gender perceptions and what we consider masculine. After deeper research, I found numerous journal articles linking masculinity with men's health, generally finding that society’s perception of masculinity had a detrimental effect on men. Gender is a socially constructed concept, and with it come stereotypes that cannot be avoided. Naturally, there are biological differences between sexes based on anatomical features. But is a man who doesn’t act manly or masculine any less of a man because it is his choice to act that way? Why should one group be discriminated against for not representing themselves how society demands they should? Gender equality has come a long way since the 1900s, but we are still a long way off from achieving complete equity. Can we ignore the differences between masculinity and femininity and treat all equally? Boys will be boys and gals will be gals. Won’t they?


 * //References//**

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2011). The health of Australia's Males. Retrieved from http://www.aihw.gov.au/publication-detail/?id=10737419204

Burns, S., Mahalik, J., & Syzdek, M. (2007). Masculinity and perceived normative healthbehaviors aspredictors of men’s health behaviors. //Social science & Medicine, 64,// 2201–2209 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2007.02.035

Carroll, J. A. (2013). PUB209 Health Culture and Society: Lecture 8. Retrieved from http://blackboard.qut.edu.au/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp? tab_tab_group_id=_4_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2FcourseMain%3Fcourse_id%3D_104727_1

Oliffe, J., Robertson, S., Kelly, M., Roy, P., & Ogrodniczuk, J. (2010). Connecting Masculinityand Depression Among International Male University Students. //Qualitative Health Research, 20// (7), 987-998 DOI: 10.1177/1049732310365700

Oxford Reference (2013). Hegemonic masculinity: overview. Retrieved from http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.201108030959 28286

Smith, J. (2007). Beyond masculine stereotypes: Moving men's health promotion forward in Australia. //Health promotion journal of Australia, 18// (1). 20-26. Retrieved from http://search.informit.com.au.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/documentSummary;dn=452471108867025;res=IELHEA