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Social Science & Medicine (1982) Jan 2022Intimate partner violence is a global problem with devastating social and health consequences to individuals and families. While some forms of intimate partner violence...
Intimate partner violence is a global problem with devastating social and health consequences to individuals and families. While some forms of intimate partner violence such as physical and sexual violence have been explored in depth, there is a lack of clarity on men's perspectives of emotional violence, particularly in low-income countries. Yet it is recognized that incorporating men's perspectives and participation is crucial for addressing intimate partner violence. We draw from in-depth interviews with 30 men and 1, 645 pictures collected through photo voice to explore men's conceptualization and experiences of emotional violence by female partners in Mwanza, Tanzania. A sub-sample of the men (n = 16) were interviewed for a second time about pictures showing different aspects of their lives. The fieldwork was conducted between April and December 2019, and the data were analyzed through a multistage inductive process. Participants described emotional violence through a narrative of 'being hurt' by some actions or words of their partners. These included: verbal complaints about failure to provide for family, partner's infidelity and flirting with other men, accusation of poor sexual performance, and perceived normative deviance characterized by coming home late and not carrying out domestic chores. Threatened masculinities drawing from negative communal normative ideals, and the underlying interpersonal power struggles with their partners for the control of economic provision, sexual intimacy and family matters framed men's definitions of emotional violence. Ongoing changes such as women's ownership and engagement in economic activities and the scarcity of employment opportunities for men challenges their household dominance. Multicomponent interventions should target men, couples and communal ideals reinforcing negative masculinity. Analysis of interpersonal power and structural dynamics influencing relationships must inform the design of interventions instead of the narrow focus on individual demographic attributes.
Topics: Concept Formation; Emotional Abuse; Female; Humans; Intimate Partner Violence; Male; Masculinity; Sexual Partners; Tanzania
PubMed: 34861570
DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.114606 -
Journal of Interpersonal Violence May 2023Interventions engaging men that challenge unequal gender norms have been shown to be effective in reducing violence against women (VAW). However, few studies have...
Interventions engaging men that challenge unequal gender norms have been shown to be effective in reducing violence against women (VAW). However, few studies have explored how to promote anti-VAW positive masculinity in young adults. This study aims to identify key multicountry strategies, as conceived by young adults and other stakeholders, for promoting positive masculinities to improve gender equity and prevent and target VAW. This study (2019-2021) involved young adults (aged 18-24 years) and stakeholders from Ireland, Israel, Spain, and Sweden. We applied concept mapping, a participatory mixed-method approach, in phases: (1) brainstorming, using semi-structured interviews with young adults ( = 105) and stakeholders ( = 60), plus focus group discussions ( = 88), to collect ideas for promoting anti-VAW positive masculinity; (2) development of an online questionnaire for sorting ( = 201) and rating ideas emerging from brainstorming by importance ( = 406) and applicability ( = 360); (3) based on sorting and rating data, creating rating maps for importance and applicability and clusters/strategies using multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analysis with groupwisdom™ software; and (4) interpretation of results with multicountry stakeholders to reach agreement. The cluster map identified seven key strategies (41 actions) for promoting anti-VAW positive masculinities ranked from highest to lowest: Formal and informal education and training; Preventive education and activities in different settings/areas; Skills and knowledge; Empathy, reflection, and understanding; Media and public efforts; Policy, legislation, and the criminal justice system; and Organizational actions and interventions. Pattern matches indicated high agreement between young people and stakeholders in ranking importance ( = 0.96), but low agreement for applicability ( = 0.60). Agreement in the total sample on prioritizing statements by importance and applicability was also low ( = 0.20); only 14 actions were prioritized as both important and applicable. Young people and stakeholders suggested seven comprehensive, multidimensional, multi-setting strategies to facilitate promoting positive masculinity to reduce VAW. Discrepancy between importance and applicability might indicate policy and implementation obstacles.
Topics: Male; Young Adult; Humans; Female; Adolescent; Masculinity; Violence; Cluster Analysis; Focus Groups; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 36475434
DOI: 10.1177/08862605221134641 -
Archives of Sexual Behavior Nov 2022While most studies on sexuality in later life report that sexual desire declines with age, little is known about the exact nature of age effects on sexual desire. Using...
While most studies on sexuality in later life report that sexual desire declines with age, little is known about the exact nature of age effects on sexual desire. Using self-reported dyadic sexual desire relating to a partner, dyadic sexual desire relating to an attractive person, and solitary sexual desire from a large (N > 8000) and age diverse (14.6-80.2 years) online sample, the current study had three goals: First, we investigated relationships between men and women's sexual desire and age. Second, we examined whether individual differences such as gender/sex, sexual orientation, self-rated masculinity, relationship status, self-rated attractiveness, and self-rated health predict sexual desire. Third, we examined how these associations differed across sexual desire facets. On average, the associations between age and both men and women's sexual desire followed nonlinear trends and differed between genders/sexes and types of sexual desire. Average levels of all types of sexual desire were generally higher in men. Dyadic sexual desire related positively to self-rated masculinity and having a romantic partner and solitary desire was higher in people with same-sex attraction. We discuss the results in the context of the evolutionary hypothesis that predict an increase of sexual desire and female reproductive effort prior to declining fertility. Our findings both support and challenge beliefs about gender/sex specificity of age effects on sexual desire and highlight the importance of differentiating between desire types.
Topics: Female; Humans; Male; Adolescent; Young Adult; Adult; Middle Aged; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Libido; Sexual Behavior; Men; Masculinity; Sexuality; Sexual Partners
PubMed: 35916987
DOI: 10.1007/s10508-022-02375-8 -
American Journal of Physiology.... Jan 2012This career retrospective describes how the initial work on the mechanism of hormone action provided the tools for the study of hirsutism, virilism, and polycystic... (Review)
Review
This career retrospective describes how the initial work on the mechanism of hormone action provided the tools for the study of hirsutism, virilism, and polycystic ovarian disease. After excessive ovarian and or adrenal androgen secretion in polycystic ovarian disease had been established, the question whether the disease was genetic or acquired, methods to manage hirsutism and methods for the induction of ovulation were addressed. Recognizing that steroid gonadotropin feedback was an important regulatory factor, initial studies were done on the secretion of LH and FSH in the ovulatory cycle. This was followed by the study of basic mechanisms of steroid-gonadotropin feedback system, using castration and steroid replacement and the events surrounding the natural onset of puberty. Studies in ovariectomized rats showed that progesterone was a pivotal enhancer of estrogen-induced gonadotropin release, thus accounting for the preovulatory gonadotropin surge. The effects of progesterone were manifested by depletion of the occupied estrogen receptors of the anterior pituitary, release of hypothalamic LHRH, and inhibition of enzymes that degrade LHRH. Progesterone also promoted the synthesis of FSH in the pituitary. The 3α,5α-reduced metabolite of progesterone brought about selective LH release and acted using the GABA(A) receptor system. The 5α-reduced metabolite of progesterone brought about selective FSH release; the ability of progesterone to bring about FSH release was dependent on its 5α-reduction. The GnRH neuron does not have steroid receptors; the steroid effect was shown to be mediated through the excitatory amino acid glutamate, which in turn stimulated nitric oxide. These observations led to the replacement of the long-accepted belief that ovarian steroids acted directly on the GnRH neuron by the novel concept that the steroid feedback effect was exerted at the glutamatergic neuron, which in turn regulated the GnRH neuron. The neuroprotective effects of estrogens on brain neurons are of considerable interest.
Topics: Androgens; Animals; Astrocytes; Estrogens; Excitatory Amino Acids; Feedback, Physiological; Female; Follicle Stimulating Hormone; Gonadotropins; Hirsutism; Hormone Replacement Therapy; Hormones; Humans; Hypothalamus; Luteinizing Hormone; Ovulation Induction; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome; Progesterone; Virilism
PubMed: 22028409
DOI: 10.1152/ajpendo.00488.2011 -
Accident; Analysis and Prevention Oct 2021Driver anger and its expression are among the most studied topics in traffic safety literature. However, the function of gender roles, i.e., masculinity and femininity,...
Driver anger and its expression are among the most studied topics in traffic safety literature. However, the function of gender roles, i.e., masculinity and femininity, in driving anger experience and expression has remained mainly unexplored. The present study investigates the association between driving anger and gender roles on the expression of anger among young drivers. Three hundred seventy-nine young drivers filled a questionnaire including the Driving Anger Scale, Bem Sex Roles Inventory, Driving Anger Expression Inventory, and demographic information. Moderated regression analyses showed that masculine gender role and anger provoked by other road users' discourtesy were positively and femininity negatively related to verbal aggression while driving. Anger related to police presence, slow driving, and masculine gender role were positively related to gesture-based and vehicle-based expression of driver aggression. Hostility and feminine gender role were negatively related to the gesture-based expression of driver aggression, while anger related to witnessing illegal driving and feminine gender role were negatively related to the vehicle-based expression of aggression. The interaction effects between masculinity and hostility, masculinity and slow driving, and femininity and illegal driving were also found on the gesture-based expression of driver aggression. The effects of interaction between masculinity and slow driving and femininity and illegal driving were also found on the vehicle-based expression of driver aggression. Slow driving and femininity had a positive relationship to the adaptive expression of anger in driving. The results suggest that masculinity and femininity moderate the relationship between driving anger and the expression of driving anger among young drivers.
Topics: Accidents, Traffic; Aggression; Anger; Automobile Driving; Female; Femininity; Humans; Male; Masculinity
PubMed: 34403907
DOI: 10.1016/j.aap.2021.106347 -
Health Promotion Practice Mar 2022The use of photovoice in men's health promotion research has grown significantly over the past 15 years. Initially mobilized as an elixir for men's talk about health...
The use of photovoice in men's health promotion research has grown significantly over the past 15 years. Initially mobilized as an elixir for men's talk about health practices and illness experiences, participant-produced photographs and accompanying narratives have grown significantly in reach, influence, and application. The current article highlights the gendered dimensions of photovoice in men's health promotion research across three studies addressing (1) psychosocial prostate cancer care, (2) fathers' tobacco reduction and smoking cessation, and (3) male suicidality. Insights drawn from the psychosocial prostate cancer care project emphasize the plurality of masculinities, and the implications for health promoters treating the common treatment side effect of erectile dysfunction. The relational nature of gender is central to the fathers' tobacco reduction and smoking cessation work whereby the well-being of partners and children strongly influenced men's behavior changes amid guiding adjustments to smoke-free policies. The male suicidality research highlights the unmuting powers of photovoice for making visible the interiority of men's mental illness, and the destigmatizing potentials for sharing participants' accompanying narratives. Evident across the three projects are the gendered dimensions of photovoice processes and products for advancing understandings of, and avenues toward, promoting the health of men and their families. After reflecting on these advances, we offer recommendations for future men's health promotion photovoice work.
Topics: Child; Health Promotion; Humans; Male; Masculinity; Men's Health; Smoking Cessation
PubMed: 35285324
DOI: 10.1177/15248399211055432 -
Social Science & Medicine (1982) Jul 2022Existing studies have examined how economic and cultural factors affect individuals selling organs and human tissues. But how social interactions and community...
Existing studies have examined how economic and cultural factors affect individuals selling organs and human tissues. But how social interactions and community relationships shape individuals' decisions and experiences has received much less attention. This research focuses on the intersection between economic disparities and gendered lineage structures to explain why and how people engage in bodily commodification. Drawing on oral history interviews with 32 former plasma sellers in central rural China, I find that villagers entered collection stations in two ways: 1) individual recruitment through which migrant men and married women on the margin of local lineage hierarchies in richer villages sold plasma as individuals and 2) familial recruitment through which multiple men of dominant lineage groups in poorer villages sold plasma in groups. While individual sellers struggled with self-blame and shame, familial sellers were shielded from gendered stigma as their communities adapted lineage rules to align plasma sale with masculinity. The results highlight the utility of a relational framework of gender in highlighting commodification as a dynamic social process shaped by participants' power locations in relation to not only each other but also the local patriarchal order.
Topics: China; Commerce; Female; Humans; Male; Masculinity; Rural Population; Social Stigma
PubMed: 35636053
DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.115067 -
Qualitative Health Research Aug 2022Deleterious effects of separation and divorce on men's mental health are well-documented; however, little is known about their help-seeking when adjusting to these...
Deleterious effects of separation and divorce on men's mental health are well-documented; however, little is known about their help-seeking when adjusting to these all-too-common life transitions. Employing interpretive descriptive methods, interviews with 47 men exploring their mental health help-seeking after a relationship break-up were analyzed in deriving three themes: (1) Solitary work and tapping established connections, (2) Reaching out to make new connections, and (3) Engaging professional mental health care. Men relying on solitary work and established connections accessed relationship-focused self-help books, online resources, and confided in friends and/or family. Some participants supplemented solitary work by reaching out to make new connections including peer-based men's groups and education and social activities. Comprising first-time, returning, and continuing users, many men responded to relationship break-up crises by engaging professional mental health care. The findings challenge longstanding commentaries that men actively avoid mental health promotion by illuminating wide-ranging help resources.
Topics: Humans; Male; Masculinity; Men; Men's Health; Mental Health; Sexual Partners
PubMed: 35758178
DOI: 10.1177/10497323221110974 -
Journal of Investigative Medicine High... 2022Androgen-producing steroid cell ovarian tumors are rare, comprising less than 1% of ovarian neoplasms, and can present with infertility and rapid virilization. Here we...
Androgen-producing steroid cell ovarian tumors are rare, comprising less than 1% of ovarian neoplasms, and can present with infertility and rapid virilization. Here we discuss the case of a 28-year-old woman who presented with an unusually insidious 2-year history of infertility, hirsutism, and clitoromegaly who was found to have an elevated serum testosterone and a left ovarian mass. She underwent oophorectomy and pathology revealed a steroid cell tumor, not otherwise specified (NOS), with no malignant features. Following surgery, the patient's hyperandrogenic symptoms resolved with normalization of testosterone within 6 months, and she was able to conceive spontaneously. In reproductive-aged women with progressive hyperandrogenic symptoms, androgen-producing tumors, including those of ovarian origin, should be suspected. Thorough investigation, including plasma hormone levels and tumor histology, can lead to accurate diagnosis and management. Treatment should be guided by histology and surgical staging, with consideration for future fertility desires. Women who have not completed childbearing can undergo unilateral oophorectomy or tumor resection for benign tumors, with close monitoring of sex hormone levels postoperatively.
Topics: Adult; Androgens; Female; Humans; Infertility; Ovarian Neoplasms; Sex Cord-Gonadal Stromal Tumors; Testosterone; Virilism
PubMed: 35596563
DOI: 10.1177/23247096211056494 -
Social Science & Medicine (1982) Aug 2020In our field sites and clinical practice in East Africa, we regularly encounter men who have become overwhelmed by "thinking too many thoughts" and "gone crazy from...
In our field sites and clinical practice in East Africa, we regularly encounter men who have become overwhelmed by "thinking too many thoughts" and "gone crazy from confusion," brought about by the problems of life created by deepening social, economic and political precarity. Across diverse settings, many African men continue to be enmeshed in social and material obligations and expectations that position them as economic consumers and providers for those they care for and love. When these gendered obligations, expectations and fantasies are left unfulfilled, this sense of failure can be embodied to produce particular kinds of health effects. Namely, men may become plagued by troublesome and confusing thoughts, leading them in some cases to "give up on" (as our research subjects put it) pursuing work and education, to become immersed in problematic drug and alcohol use, and even to take their own lives. While these afflictions can be glossed using the language of depression, anxiety, addiction and suicide, such medicalizing frames may obscure more nuanced social, structural and affective diagnoses of what is happening to men across Africa and globally. Anthropology provides us with alternative frames through which to understand how psychological wounds are made-and healed.
Topics: Africa; Africa, Eastern; Humans; Male; Masculinity; Suicide
PubMed: 32540514
DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.113097