Alan Dolan

'You can't ask for a Dubonnet and lemonade!': working class masculinity and men's health practices

In recent years, much research concerning mens health has focused on mens health-related practices. While this body of research has often sought to contextualise mens health practice it has done so primarily in terms of gender not social class. The need remains therefore to link theories of masculinity and health to broader theories regarding social class and health which highlight the social and economic context of peoples lives, in order to develop more complex understandings regarding the interactions between social class, gender and mens health practices. The aim of this article is to explore these interactions via a qualitative examination of the ways in which two groups of working class men living in two contrasting socio-economic areas construct masculinity and how this intertwines with their class position to impact on their health practices. This study highlights how mens conceptualisations of masculinity coupled with their class position informed their understanding of male roles and the expectations that flow from this. It shows how certain risky practices are firmly rooted in the material reality of mens lives, not simply in their gender, and how aspects of masculinity and class position intimately entwine to structure mens health seeking behaviour.

‘I’ve Learnt What a Dad Should Do’: The Interaction of Masculine and Fathering Identities among Men Who Attended a ‘Dads Only’ Parenting Programme:

This article is based on qualitative research with men who voluntarily attended a ‘dads only’ parenting programme. The article explores men’s motivations to attend and demonstrates some of the challenges relating to masculine identity that fathers face when seeking support regarding their children. It also highlights how aspects of masculinity may shape men’s limited knowledge concerning the needs of their children and their capabilities as ‘involved’ fathers. The article then explores how men made sense of their changing thoughts and practices regarding fathering and fatherhood within the context of their conceptualisations of masculinity. Whilst men appeared to embrace parenting qualities more commonly associated with women they did not completely distance themselves from traditional fathering templates. Moreover, although they gained a sense of mastery over childcare, the ways in which men care for their children is inevitably context dependent and some demonstrations of involved fathering may clash with certain masculine ideals.

'That's just the cesspool where they dump all the trash': exploring working class men's perceptions and experiences of social capital and health.

This article explores issues relating to the concept of social capital which has been become an important explanation for inequalities in health. It is based on an analysis of in-depth interviews with working class men living in two contrasting socio-economic areas — one relatively disadvantaged and one advantaged. It highlights the role of different community contexts in the nature and extent of local social capital. In particular, it demonstrates how de-industrialization and economic change as well as material deprivation and a perceived dis-investment in local communities impacted on the mens levels of social capital. Analysis also shows the ways in which gender mediates the processes through which social capital is developed and accessed as a personal and social resource, and how the norms and values associated with working class masculinities appeared to preclude the men from building supportive health-enhancing relationships with others in their community. The prominence of social capital has focused attention on the subjective dimensions of community life as potential determinants of health. This article has, therefore, sought to contribute to this field by widening our understanding about the relationship between social capital, gender and health.

‘Men give in to chips and beer too easily’: How working-class men make sense of gender differences in health

This article, based on qualitative research with working-class men, explores men’s perceptions and experiences regarding gender differences in health. It demonstrates how men put forward a range of behavioural/cultural, materialist/structural and psychosocial factors, which were believed to differently impact men’s health compared to women. A common theme underpinning their explanations was the ways in which men and women were located within two distinct gender categories. These characterisations were used to explain why health-damaging beliefs and behaviours were more prevalent among men and also why men were better suited for certain kinds of jobs, albeit with potential costs to their health. Men also believed that women were protected from the damaging physical and emotional impact of manual employment because of their primary role within the home and because they were less emotionally robust, which required men to shield women from the stresses they experienced. However, men’s emotional withdrawal can also be viewed as another example of how men use whatever resources are available to achieve and maintain dominance over women. Finally, the article demonstrates how a gender- and class-based approach can capture the impact of men’s health-related practices alongside the broader cultural and structural influences on men’s health.

Exploring the impact of health inequalities on the health of adults with intellectual disability from their perspective

Abstract Across every indicator of health inequality, adults with intellectual disability are disadvantaged. However, first-hand accounts from adults with intellectual disability exploring the impact health inequalities have for their health and are absent from the literature. The research was underpinned by a participatory approach, involving Men with intellectual disability as members of a steering group and through 20 interviews. Thematic analysis revealed how low income and reduced employment had a negative impact on the men’s physical and psychological health. New findings show how living in deprived areas exposed men to constant threats to their safety with an adverse effect on their health.