Gareth Terry

‘It’s kind of me taking responsibility for these things’: Men, vasectomy and ‘contraceptive economies’

This article examines vasectomy as a gendered practice of (non)reproductive masculinity. Reporting on interview-based data, in which a number of New Zealand men made sense of the operation, this article used critical thematic analysis to extract themes from semi-structured interviews with participants who had vasectomies in ‘typical’ circumstances. Primary themes of ‘taking responsibility’ and ‘vasectomy as an act of minor heroism’ were extracted from the data. We will argue that men constructed their ‘new found’ responsibility (and the heroic slant they added to it) within an ‘economy of gratitude’, meaning any involvement by men in the reproductive/contraceptive sphere is worthy of particular praise and value. While there may be some strategic value in these ideas, they draw upon existing discourses of orthodox masculinities and in this way may perpetuate (rather than challenge) the notion that men are doing something ‘special’ by having a vasectomy. This ‘specialness’ has the potential to ratify ongoing male privilege within heterosexual relationships, rather than the disruption that (at face value) it appears to be generating.

When I was a bastard: Constructions of maturity in men's accounts of masculinity

Social constructionist work has demonstrated how the performance of heterosexuality for (heterosexual) men is unarguably tied to the construction of their masculine identities. In this article, we draw on Wetherell and Edleys theorisation of ‘imaginary positions’ as it pertains to masculine identity formation, to make sense of 15 New Zealand mens accounts of sex in long-term heterosexual relationships. Such relationships were constructed as a ‘safe space’ in which to resist a negative (former) imaginary position of the ‘immature self’ and in which to construct a positive (current) position of the ‘loving, enlightened, egalitarian, mature self’. Although this suggests a positive reconstruction of male sexuality in New Zealand (within the context of long-term heterosexual relationships) these positions remain constructed in a manner which relies on traditional masculine notions of independence and autonomy. This emphasises the fluidity of masculinity, and the way in which certain styles become prevalent, while maintaining traditional elements which bolster male power.

To let hair be, or to not let hair be? Gender and body hair removal practices in Aotearoa/New Zealand

Research and anecdotal evidence suggest women continue to remove body hair, and there is some evidence for cultural changes in mens hair removal practices. This paper reports on data collected using an online mix-methods survey from 584 New Zealanders between the ages of 18-35 (mean age 26, 48.9% male, 50.6% female). The data demonstrated that substantial proportions of both women and men in Aotearoa/New Zealand remove body hair from many sites. However, gendered differences remain, and a key dimension of gendered difference appears in the concept of flexible choice around body hair removal or retention. This was seen in the difference between perceived acceptability of having body hair (81% for men, 11% for women). These findings suggest that although men, like women, are now coming under some pressure to remove body hair, there is still a great difference in men and womens capacity to choose whether to bow to it.

Sticking My Finger up at Evolution:: Unconventionality, Selfishness, and Choice in the Talk of Men Who have had ‘‘Preemptive’’ Vasectomies

Men’s interest in the contraceptive and reproductive spheres is often considered to be minimal, with management of these domains traditionally constructed as “feminine.” Despite this, some men, who have no interest in having children, choose to take a higher degree of control over their reproductive bodies, voluntarily seeking a “preemptive” vasectomy. This article reports on interview data with twelve men who had preemptive vasectomies, describing the shared meaning making (and subject positions) many of these men took up in relation to the operation. The subject positions can be identified by (1) descriptions of themselves and/or their lifestyles as “selfish,” and (2) descriptions of themselves and/or their lifestyles as “unconventional.” While these self-descriptors might be construed negatively, an indication of marginalization, the authors would argue that the men were able to put a positive spin on these features using neoliberal discourses of choice and personal responsibility. Access to such discourses might be seen as an indication of the men’s privileged rather than marginalized status, allowing them to make such a decision “easier” than it might be for many women. The authors would also suggest that having a preemptive vasectomy might be seen as a rejection of contemporary modes of involved fatherhood.

‘I’m committed to her and the family’: positive accounts of vasectomy among New Zealand men

Background: More than 15 years ago, the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) identified men’s involvement with reproductive and contraceptive tasks as vital for improving women’s reproductive health worldwide. The uptake of vasectomy provides one measure of men’s involvement in reproductive and contraceptive actions, but uptake requires the negotiation of a complex set of social and psychological meanings related to masculinity, sexuality and contraceptive involvement. The limited research in this area paints a largely negative picture around vasectomy, emphasising fears, side effects, and men being pressured into having the operation, but it is not the only account of vasectomy. Objectives: The aim of this research was to examine the accounts of New Zealand men who had undergone vasectomy. Method: Interviews with 28 men who had opted to have a vasectomy (16 had children; 12 did not) based in New Zealand, a country with a high rate of vasectomy, offer a more positive portrayal of the meanings and experiences of vasectomy. Results: Men referred to vasectomy as a positive reflection of their identities, and their choice to have it as exemplifying personal characteristics they valued. Such accounts disrupt the common-sense story of vasectomy as negative or difficult for men, and allow it to be positioned as a positive choice for heterosexual male reproductive involvement and responsibility

“You’re in That Realm of Unpredictability” Mateship, Loyalty, and Men Challenging Men Who Use Domestic Violence Against Women

This study reports on discourse analysis of transcripts from focus group discussions held with 28 “ordinary” men about domestic violence. Two broad “mateship” themes emerged: (a) a strong “mateship” discourse that produced public/private boundaries around discussions about intimate heterosexual relationships. Policed by the threat of violence, these boundaries prevented some men from challenging men about their violence. (b) “Loyalty to mates” discourses constituted attention to men’s violence against women as threatening the moral integrity of all men. Finally, some men positioned themselves against men’s domestic violence, distinguishing their masculinity from men who abuse women. Implications for prevention campaigns are discussed.

‘I’m putting a lid on that desire’: Celibacy, choice and control

Sex is constructed as an important (even essential) part of ‘normal’ adult functioning, and for men in particular. While sexual abstinence may often be valued among adolescents, ‘celibacy’ among adults is considered problematic, associated with losses in health, well-being and general quality of life. Despite this, for various reasons, some people choose to deliberately avoid sexual activity (often conflated with coitus) with another person, even though they might continue to desire it. This article presents interview data detailing nine men’s accounts of their choice to be ‘celibate’ or deliberately giving up sex for a period of time. Using thematic analysis, it presents two primary themes. First, that sex (despite the choice to be celibate) is still an imperative, and second, that celibacy becomes necessary as sex itself can be constructed as a problem. The analysis also examines how accounts of ‘choice’ and ‘control’ are used to define celibacy as a form of resistance to the power of the male sex-drive discourse, and yet simultaneously build upon hegemonic forms of masculine sense making such as a self-control, autonomy, and in some cases outright misogyny.

Suddenly, bang, one day there ' s commitment with a woman … Men, vasectomy and the life course

Abstract Research that investigates and theorises the male reproductive life course is extremely limited, and often reduced to examining problems, such as infertility. As a consequence, what we know about mens reproductive decision making is often extrapolated from theorisation of the female reproductive life course, or simplistic assumptions about masculine identity. This article analyses interview data from 34 men talking about their vasectomy decision-making processes in order to provide a lens through which to understand men making sense of their reproductive life course. Men who had children spoke of their vasectomy as resolving their lay understandings of the ‘normal’ life course, men who did not want their children to speak of resisting the normal life course, and men who had experienced or considered relationship dissolution spoke of resetting the life course.

Negotiating the hairless ideal in Āotearoa/New Zealand: Choice, awareness, complicity, and resistance in younger women's accounts of body hair removal

Hair removal amongst Western women is ubiquitous, and research continues to highlight the ongoing conformity of almost all women with hair removal practices. Often women are presented as either cultural dupes, following the expectations of the Western hairless ideal without question, or highly engaged participants in the rigours of aesthetic labour, using it for their own agentic purposes. This paper seeks to explore the various ways that younger women (18–35) made sense of their own and others’ hair removal practices. We report on a thematic analysis of data generated from an online (mostly) qualitative survey with 299 female-identified respondents. Four themes were constructed: (1) women should do what they want with their body hair, (2) removing hair is socially shaped, (3) begrudging complicity, and (4) resistance to hair removal norms takes a particular kind of woman. We discuss the ways in which women described their practices and thinking where they seemed simultaneously complicit with and resistant to idealised notions of feminine embodiment.

Doing gender locally: The importance of ‘place’ in understanding marginalised masculinities and young men’s transitions to ‘safe’ and successful futures

Observable anxieties have been developing about the position of boys and young men in contemporary society in recent years. This is expressed as a crisis of masculinity, in which place is often implicitly implicated, but is rarely considered for its role in the shaping of young men’s practices, trajectories and aspirations. Drawing on research conducted with young people who accessed a range of social care support services, this article argues that transition means different things for young men in different locales and that local definitions of masculinity are required to better understand young men’s lives and the opportunities available to them. The authors argue that home life, street life, individual neighbourhoods, regions and nations all shaped the young men’s identities and the practices they (and the staff working with them) drew on in order to create successful futures and ‘safe’ forms of masculinity. It is suggested that this place-based approach has the potential to re-shape the ‘crisis’ discourse surrounding masculinity and the anxieties associated with young men.